Curiosity and a willingness to learn on the job are two of the most important things to consider when building a team, according to head of marketing of v2food, Jade Lish.
“In one of my previous roles, I hired two non-marketers to join the marketing team. One had come from commercial and finance, and the other one had come from sales, and it was one of the best teams I’ve had,” Lish told The Growth Distillery Vodcast.
Speaking to News Corp Australia’s director of the Growth Intelligence Centre and independent think tank The Growth Distillery, Dan Krigstein, Lish said: “From a technical point of view, I felt I could coach and bring them up to speed and show them the world of marketing. They really wanted to get into marketing, and for me, you can teach anything if they’re willing to learn.”
As a result of these choices, Lish said expanding horizons when hiring and considering candidates who might not perfectly fit every criteria has “taught me heaps.”
“They brought so many different perspectives and skills, and we worked so well as a team. So I quite like to do different things like that and give people a chance to get into the industry.
“More often than not you lose out on jobs because you don’t tick all the boxes, but I’m all for giving people a shot if they just want to do the job.”
Speaking with Mediaweek after the episode was recorded, Lish said it’s important to have an “integrated life” first and foremost when working in a leadership position.
“Being able to be truly yourself in the workplace, to be the best that you can be and help make your team the best is absolutely what we should be doing as leaders. Business growth doesn’t happen without people – lead with that in mind, rather than just business results, growth and business politics.”
Lish hopes that fellow leaders know the importance of doing the work on yourself first.
“In the words of one of my favourite mentors, know yourself before you grow yourself – that’s from Rowena Millward.
“Before you take on a leadership position, ask who are you as a leader? What do you do that makes you great as a leader? Find that out first and then work out what you can offer other people, because effectively you’re leading other people to make them better.”
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Top Image: Jade Lish