Just like with any role and job, Andrea deals with challenges, which she then translates as opportunities to be the best role model for her team.
“Leadership to me isn’t a title, it’s about your actions. It’s having integrity, creating a vision and giving clarity that helps people understand what they need to do daily.”
Andrea is the leader she is today partly because of the influence one of her own past leaders had on her. It was this person who taught her to question what’s worth the stress and how to prioritise. This lesson is something she uses in her own leadership and shares with her team.
“This person taught me to always think ‘so what?’ to help prioritise things. We all get caught up in things throughout the day so this is something I remind myself and my team of. It encourages us to stand back, identify the issue and understand the impact it will have if it was left to be dealt with the next day. It can be used to clarify any issue or situation.”
Hosting an International Women’s Day event at Medibank, with fellow Gender Diversity Group team members and Penny Locaso.
Being in a position to lead others is not something that Andrea takes lightly, in fact, she says it’s a privilege she takes seriously knowing that this is an opportunity to impact others.
“I have to be the role model that my team deserves. What I enjoy is having the courage to challenge the status quo and I want to be able to pass that on to those I work with. We’re a cohesive team who do really well thinking as a group but it’s important to encourage individuals to be courageous and step up if they think there are more efficient and effective ways of doing things.”
Bonding over volunteering with her team, making gingerbread houses for Taskforce.
A great leader is someone who doesn’t just show the way but empowers others to create their own paths. For Andrea, this means encouraging people to be brave enough to take initiative.
“I encourage my team to step up, take on a problem and try to solve it, whilst reassuring them that it’s ok to fail. We ask ‘what’s the worst thing that can happen?’ and I think if you go in with that question, tackle the issue and do fail, then the next step is a lot clearer, for instance escalating the problem or asking for help.”
Andrea says that her enjoyment and passion to lead is strongly influenced by the support she receives from Medibank and has received since day one.
“The reason I’m able to lead in the way that I do is because of the support Medibank provides on a daily basis. There is a culture of care and genuine showing of heart, which is incredible. There have been instances when I’ve had to show vulnerability and the company responded with such a high level of care and compassion. It’s inspiring.”
Andrea with her Commercial Finance team, wearing red to support the theme of “Show Heart.”
As Andrea continues her career journey with Medibank, she also continues to discover the different ways in which the company is changing lives.
“We’re willing to take leaps and try new things. An example is Medibank’s rehabilitation at home service. We invested in its trial and it’s working really well. The idea is to test and learn, it’s very important that we stay innovative and continue to help shape the healthcare space for the better.”
Recently, Andrea was diagnosed with arthritis after which, she says, her instant thought was to go straight to medication. Having been a part of Medibank for a few months and understanding the importance of health and wellbeing, she took a step back and decided to take a more holistic approach.
“It’s about pausing for a second and trying to understand what your body is trying to tell you. One of the most important things I did was completely change my diet. We have to be conscious of the life that we have and the decisions we’re making. Re-assessing my wellbeing and tweaking a few things really helped. I went from not being able to walk up the stairs without pain, to running 6kms!”
Andrea with her husband and two children.
Andrea with her basketball team – “I love playing team sports and it helps me keep active!”
To switch off from work, Andrea makes sure to put her focus on her young family.
“I have two children and we really try to stay active. When I’m home with them, I’m present and extremely mindful that I’m playing my other role – a mum. I also give my mental health a boost by turning to sports such as basketball and boxing.”
#employeeambassador #health #leadership
This article was republished with kind permission from Medibank. Read the original here.