#03 Sandra Zemke – Focus on strengths




Uploaded: 10.10.2019
Duration: 40:37

In this episode, I am interviewing Sandra Zemke. She is a former consultant and works at a large DAX company in Germany.

We talk about:

  • Her leadership journey from an IT project manager motivating people in a big matrix organisation without a hierarchical responsibility to her first leadership role managing right away 25 team members spread across 3 countries. 
  • Concrete tips for first-time leaders on how to structure your routines between operational topics as well as leadership responsibilities enabling all of your team members time with you
  • What supported her in this challenge: the importance of sponsors, peer support and how a coaching and team development workshops at the beginning helped her to have more impact. 
  • Sandra’s leadership style is very much focused on strengths which impacts how she tackles also “challenging” team members with authenticity 
  • Lastly, we speak about what Sandra does for her own development as leader and what being brave and actively contacting possible C-level mentors via LinkedIn has to do with it! 

More about Sandra…

Link to a video highlighting Dan Pink’s concept of autonomy, mastery and purpose as basis for motivation for certain kind of jobs

Link to Sandra’s LinkedIn profile