Kia Seals

I think I'm intrinsically ambitious, so I really enjoy pushing myself to learn more challenging things. I'm never just satisfied with good enough - it's kind of that growth mindset. The other thing is really the relationships that I've built. I am someone that really tries to bring people along with me, and that not only helps from a reputation perspective, but also just makes the work more enjoyable. It's very hard to get things done on your own. As I've moved around in my career, building relationships that can be a thought partner or a challenger for me, but also just a source of support as I've accelerated my career, has been really valuable. So I'd say just ambition, willingness to work hard, but also a commitment to building lasting relationships.

One of my first bosses at Phillips in the Netherlands pulled me aside and gave me one of the hardest conversations of my career, but it transformed my professional life. I started as an intern there and was very, very shy and really afraid to speak up in meetings. He told me, 'You're not in the room just to take up space, people are paying you for your opinion.' It was very hard to hear at the time - I definitely shed a few tears - but I will never forget that moment, and now I try and do that for other people as well.

I think one of the things that's helped me is being as strong as you can be in the foundational skills of communications or marketing, but I think that the more that you understand the business as well, that really helps you add value. So become a real student of the business and try to understand the basics of the finances, the basics of the business strategy, in a way that allows you to connect with and really advise executives in a way that they trust you. I have found that to be a real accelerator for my career. Take time to hone your skills in the communication space, but also really take the time to understand the business and ask smart questions so that you can give the best counsel. In communications, it can be hard to show a tangible impact - it's different in sales where you can say you've met X target. But in communication, do you really understand what the company's trying to do, and can you create materials or messaging that brings that to life in a compelling way? And that takes understanding of the end goal.

Respect is probably one of the highest values for me. I think that I try to both lead my team and just conduct my personal life in a way that treats people with kindness and tries to appreciate different points of view, whether that's cultural or whatever it is. I really try and be as open-minded and respectful as I possibly can. I think that's probably the biggest core value of mine.