​When I left school, I was encouraged to pursue higher education. More than one person told me that my exam results would be wasted in hairdressing.

 

I chose the industry anyway.

 

It remains one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

 

I was already teaching myself, practising on anyone who would let me and making plenty of mistakes along the way, but loving every minute of it.

 

The industry I entered looked very different to the one we know today.

 

Apprentices were expected to work hard, keep their heads down and respect their seniors. Mental wellbeing wasn’t something we spoke about, and questioning authority simply wasn’t part of the culture.

 

As my career developed, I was fortunate enough to experience very different styles of leadership.

 

Some leaders expected results.

 

The best invested in people.

 

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that every one of those experiences taught me something.

 

Some showed me the kind of leader I wanted to become.

 

Others showed me the kind of leader I never wanted to be.

 

The educators and leaders who had the greatest impact on me weren’t necessarily the most technically gifted.

 

They were the ones who listened.

 

They challenged me to think differently.

 

They encouraged me to keep learning.

 

And they saw potential in me that I hadn’t yet recognised in myself.

 

As my career progressed, I learnt something equally important.

 

If you find yourself in an environment that doesn’t help you grow, it’s okay to look for one that will.

 

Some of the best decisions I’ve made throughout my career came from choosing environments where people believed in education, invested in their teams and genuinely wanted others to succeed.

 

Looking back now, I realise the leader I needed wasn’t someone who had all the answers.

 

It was someone who created an environment where I could become the best version of myself.

 

Perhaps that’s the greatest responsibility any leader has.

 

It’s certainly the example I’ve tried to follow throughout my own career.