16. The kind of leader I choose to follow

I thought this week would be about something else. But my mind kept returning to a quiet thread I’ve been pulling on for years: the kind of leaders I’ve admired throughout my career.

When I reflect on the ones who’ve left a mark, I see a few things clearly. First, they were genuinely committed. Fully engaged in their work, caring, passionate, and deeply knowledgeable. I’ve never been able to admire someone who feels detached from their purpose. It’s that fire, that clarity, even when things are hard, that draws me in.

Second, they’re good people. That might sound simple, but it’s rare. I understand the need to hit targets and perform. But if I’m going to follow someone, especially now, at this point in my life, they have to be someone I trust. Someone honest. Someone who sees me not just as a professional, but as a human, a mother, and the head of a family. Their values need to hold space for mine.

And third, maybe most importantly, they believed in me.

Andre Rosa believed in me. He was the finance director at Colgate during a key phase of my career. I once asked him, nervously, if he thought I had what it takes to become a CFO. He didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely,” he said. “If you keep building on your strengths, I have no doubt.” He gave me every opportunity I asked for, and more importantly, the ones I earned. There were whispers at the time, as there often are, assumptions based on old narratives and the way our society projects onto women rising in male-dominated spaces. But twenty years later, I want this journal to hold the truth: his support was always professional. Nothing more, nothing less. Just belief, respect, and recognition of hard work.

Frank William was another. He led before Andres and showed a kind of quiet leadership that stayed with me. Every time I got a promotion, he would reach out to see how I was doing, not because he had to, but because he cared. Now that I understand the demands of leadership, I know how meaningful that kind of check-in truly is.

And then there’s Nicky Bowie. She was in the commercial area at Kellogg’s when I was in finance. We worked on a big project together, and something clicked. Her energy, her strategic mind, and her care for her team made me want to be part of what she was building. So I asked to join her team. I did. And it was in that role that the first spark of MadeComfy was born.

I still remember the day I resigned. She looked at me and said, “I really admire you. I wish I had your courage.” Not long after, she was made redundant, and I offered her a role in the company I had just started. She joined me as sales and marketing director and became one of the pillars of our early days. That still humbles me.

What I notice now, looking back, is that the leaders I admire most didn’t just drive performance; they made me believe in myself. They saw something in me before I could fully see it in myself. And that belief changed the course of my life.

Today, I try to pay that forward with the people who work around me, giving them exposure, empowerment, and support when they need it. I tend to ask more questions than give directions. Because I’ve learned that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for someone is simply hold up a mirror and remind them of what’s already there.

It’s the kind of leader I hope to be, for my team, yes, but especially for my kids. I hope that one day they can say, “My mum was one of those leaders. She believed in me so deeply, it helped me believe in myself.”

Because leadership isn’t just about what we achieve. It’s about how we show up for others. How we see them. Believe in them. Stand beside them. That’s where the real legacy lives.

Who are the leaders who truly saw you, and how did their belief shape the way you see yourself today?

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