Join us as we celebrate International Women's Day over a month of special features, interviews and videos!

This global day recognises the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, with a mission to champion women of all backgrounds who dare to innovate, lead, and uplift others towards a more equal and inclusive workplace. At Human Synergistics, our mission is “Changing the World – One Organisation at a Time™” through developing effective leaders, innovative teams and positive workplace cultures, but we can’t do that without the help of our incredible network.

This year, we are taking the opportunity of International Women’s Day to celebrate a month of women in leadership and those that strive for constructive leadership and cultures.

As part of our series, we interviewed Edi Szentirmay who is a Senior Organisation Development Advisor. 

Edi Szentirmay, Senior Organisation Development Advisor

What do you enjoy about coaching with the LSI? I enjoy being able to make a difference in people’s lives. It is an opportunity to ask good questions that will help them have light bulb moments and move forward to lead more empowered and fulfilling lives, not only their work lives but personal as well. This also has a beneficial flow on effect for others the person leads and associates with.

What are some key insights you’ve learnt through this tricky Covid-19 time around constructive leadership? During these tough and uncertain times we have had to be more agile, flexible and humanistic in our approach as leaders. The constructive skills of being able to actively encourage and support people has been critical to maintaining the stability and wellbeing of our staff. Being able to support people through regular communication that not only keeps them informed but also demonstrates care and empathy for how they may be feeling, helped people know what is expected of them, allay their fears and maintain their engagement and therefore productivity. Such communication requires a leader to be affiliative and have a fair degree of self-actualising.

What have you personally learnt about yourself in responding to the challenges of 2020/21 and the pandemic? I learnt how flexible and resilient I could be in adapting to uncertainty, working from home and social distancing. I also learnt about the importance of making an effort to maintain relationships and social networks, even if they couldn’t be face to face. It helped keep all of us sane!

What does the 2021 International Women’s Day slogan, #ChooseToChallenge mean for you in your work life? This year’s International Women’s Day is focusing on Generation Equality, to act for an equal future for all. This doesn’t just concern equal pay, but equality in all areas of our lives, including types of employment, roles women and men play in their work and personal lives, and behaviours towards women and men. Research shows that there are still some significant disparities. We can address these disparities through creating awareness of where the inequalities are and collaborating to form an understanding of how to establish greater equality. This includes having the courage to constructively challenge and address where we see biases and stereotypes occurring. Through speaking up, we can create awareness and opportunity for conversations to occur that may make all the difference in changing mind-sets and creating a more inclusive world.

On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to our AP network? Believe in yourself and the difference you can make. Reflect on what’s important to you and have the courage to use your voice to make a difference for equality and therefore a more inclusive future for everyone.