“Being able to admit that you can’t handle everything, every day, is an excellent coping mechanism.”

HP What was the most important lesson you learnt about leadership?

KH Who am I to ‘teach or ‘preach’ here, but personally for me it was that the pandemic stripped us of most of the everyday tools around leadership on and around the workplace. The challenge was (and is) to stay connected, to remain available and supportive to the needs of the team, the colleagues, and the community. I kept saying if there is something you need, ‘I'm always just a text away’ which is the equivalent to when I'm in the office, ‘my door is open.’

HP When were you at your lowest ebb during the pandemic?

KH Learning about the passing away of friends and colleagues due to the pandemic.

HP What were your daily coping mechanisms?

KH Early on, we set up a daily zoom call for the whole team to keep everyone connected through the initial lockdown in Europe.

Also being able to admit that you can’t handle everything, every day is an excellent coping mechanism.

HP When you look back on the last 20 months, what makes you most proud?

KH As a team, we have been able to rise to the challenge, we could support our members and the industry community. And we did not need to furlough or part with staff due to the pandemic.

We had a lengthy conversation with our leadership right at the beginning of the pandemic, and the feedback was that this is the time for us to step up as the industry’s association as we’ve probably never been more needed than we are now.

We figured it out as we went along, starting with the digital sessions that we ran for our members instead of the face-to-face conference and we were in a position where we could connect the community. We then took what we found out and turned it into a framework for how to run events through a pandemic.

We found purpose and we found a role.

HP When you look back on the last 20 months what makes you most proud?

KH I am proud that I learned so much about virtual meetings and health policy in such a short time!

HP What did you learn about your own leadership style?

KH That this must always evolve and adapt to the challenges at hand. But is it based on the core belief that in a good team you have good people who are good at what they do. You can empower them, and give them general direction and guidance.

If you asked my team about my leadership style, I hope they would say that my leadership approach, style, and mission hadn’t changed.

HP What would you say to leaders who are struggling in their role?

KH That they are not alone – we all struggle, it’s a part of the daily challenge, and I would invite them to look for a network of peers to connect with.

People are usually happy to answer a question and if you don't ask for anything, you already have a no, but if you ask someone something you may get a yes. ‘Would you mind? Can I share with all of you? Could I ask you for your opinion on…? Could you guide me on this, or do you mind mentoring me?’

The level of question you ask is up to you, but it’s always worth asking. It might not always be a yes, but if you don’t ask, you take no for an answer.