Carmen Gillis

I really attribute my success to the innate gift that I have within me. We all come into this world with certain gifts, and I've been fortunate that whatever gift is in me has been able to be tapped into throughout my career, especially when it comes to working with people. Whether it's moving people around in organizations, putting them in the right positions, or bringing teams together, I just sense that this gift naturally emerges and guides my work. It's not something I learned from a textbook - it's just who I am at my core, and when I'm able to tap into that and be authentic, that's when I see the best results in helping others reach their potential.

The best career advice I've received has always been about having courage and just going for it, even when it feels like a stretch. I remember a pivotal moment when I transitioned from being a project coordinator to a project manager almost overnight, and I had a moment where I wasn't feeling confident. My mentor stepped in and told me, 'Just do it, Carmen. Don't fear the failure, just do it. Just have the courage.' That encouragement to really go for it and have courage in whatever I'm doing, even when it feels uncomfortable or like a stretch, has been the inspiration that's carried me through my career. It's always been that push to not let fear hold me back.

I would say tap into your heart and just lead from your heart. Don't lead from your head - lead from your heart, which will always inspire you to have authenticity and courage. When you lead from your heart, it keeps you moving in joy and freedom and all of the things that really matter. It's about being true to yourself and letting that authenticity guide your decisions and your interactions with others. That's where real leadership comes from, and that's what will sustain you throughout your career.

For me, because I have such a heart for people, the biggest challenge is having to let people down, even though it's not really letting them down. In this job market, when I'm recruiting, there are so many applicants who are genuinely excited about the opportunity of a position. I have to have honest conversations with people and tell them they're not going to get what they wanted - they're not going to get the position. I try to be honest and maybe give them some encouragement to try a different path, but that's really difficult for me. When I start to talk to someone and get to know their story more and who they are, I just wish I could help every person. But that's not the reality, and that's the hardest part of what I do.

Authenticity is huge for me, because when you feel free to be authentic, that's really when your gifts emerge and you feel the confidence to lead in different roles, even if your title isn't technically 'leader.' It just comes more naturally when you're authentic and you have that freedom to be who you are. The other value I really hold dear is joy. And I don't mean joy from a fake-it perspective - as someone who has walked through cancer, I know that life can bring these twists and turns, these ups and downs. But there is a level of joy, or even pleasure, that you can tap into that's just underneath the surface all the time. As we center ourselves and take deep breaths, we can access that joy even in difficult times. Those values - authenticity and joy - really guide everything I do.