Andy and Frances are very pleased to be back for our 3rd season of Unlocking Aliveness in Leadership podcast.

In today’s episode we are in conversation with Rachel Jones, Director of Talent and Learning for Strategic Accounts and Continental Europe at Sodexo.

From the early age of 13, Rachel got the bug for talking and interacting with people, running from School to the work at the local newsagents.  

Whilst working at Tesco alongside studying for her A Levels, Rachel was offered the opportunity to join their management leadership scheme and jumped at the chance. She loved the company and her work but after 7 years she joined Michael Page and still uses what she learned about people, clients, and candidates to this day.  

Rachel has been working at Sodexo for the last 10 years in a variety of people related roles.

Rachel reflected that leadership has been many different things in her career, and she has in turn needed different forms of leadership to lead and guide her. For her leadership is reflective, ever meaningful, and brings purpose to people in very different ways. Rachel gave us a new angle on leadership and talked about what she expected from a leader, someone who trusts and believes in her, is a voice, a shoulder, an ear when needed. It’s fine to get to wrong if you learn from it.

When talking about her leadership purpose Rachel was crystal clear “to be authentic in all I say and all I do”, saying “sometimes it matters more, what you won’t stand for rather than what you will, this is how you define your authenticity.”

Rachel’s pride comes from the sustainable impact she has achieved and her two children, her proudest achievement. She knows she can be fast paced, demanding and challenging, but never for anything other than growing individuals, teams, functions, and the business.  

As far as regrets go, her biggest was believing pace was power, often being likened to a Duracell battery. With experience and wisdom, she appreciates the value of slowing down and letting an answer form or situation play out.

Freedom and trust are what brings Rachel alive as a leader, rather than sleepwalking through work, getting caught up in what can’t be done. She thrives on enabling people to be human beings, listening, and discovering what gifts people have and creating an environment of enjoyment at work.

Rachel’s top tips for all leaders, are:-

• You know what the right thing to do is, just do it!  
• If you can change and impact one person’s life or day, do it, because it will never just impact one person.
• For more senior leaders, expect leadership as well as giving it.
• 
  

Our thanks to Rachel for sharing her thoughts with such passion and clarity.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.