Proving them wrong & believing in yourself as a leader with Ewelina Robaczek

In an ideal world, everyone would cheer us on to become leaders. Reality can be less kind. Yet it’s exactly in those moments of adversity that we are poised for tremendous growth – if only we’re courageous enough to take the leap. Ewelina Robaczek, Founder & CEO of Vouchery.io, has had to have that courage multiple times in her career. She shares how you can showcase your leadership potential, listen to your ambition, and let go of fear.

I’ve jotted down all key takeaways for you below so you don’t need to scribble along as you listen. And don’t forget to download the leadership checklist featuring Ewelina’s key insights at the very end!

Ewelina is the Founder & CEO of Vouchery.io, a predictive promotion management platform that helps to maximize the efficiency of discount, referral, and coupon programs. Previously, she worked at Rocket Internet in Berlin, gaining venture development experience as an expert in Online Marketing, CRM, and Product, setting the strategy for Rocket’s startups globally.

Learn more about Ewelina: LinkedIn | Twitter| Vouchery.io

When Ewelina had her first real-life experience with gender discrimination in the workplace – receiving less money as the only woman on a team and being told of course she would receive less than the men – she turned around and founded a women’s club at her university.

How you can make a difference:

• Speak up: Ewelina didn’t know she was speaking up at the time, she thought she was just addressing a mistake when she found out she was earning less, but the lesson still holds true. When you see something that is wrong – address it.
• Band together: We’re all stronger together. Join – or create like Ewelina did – a group with like-minded women.

More than just dress for the job you want – act as if you have the job you want! Just five months after starting as an intern, Ewelina got a fixed position that quickly translated to her leading a team. No matter how junior your position, it’s never too early to exhibit your leadership potential.

How you can stand out:

• Take on projects: Raise your hand whenever a new task or project presents itself.
• Start new things: Don’t be afraid to take initiative and pitch a new idea or project for you to work on.

Especially when you are new in a company, look around you, and not just on your level. Working together with someone more senior brings benefits to you both: You introduce a fresh perspective for them, and you can learn from their experience.

How you can collaborate to grow:

• Look around & reach out: Which of your colleagues has a skillset you want to learn? Reach out to them see how you can work together and what you can help them with.
• Grow together: Ewelina teamed up with a senior colleague and together they build up a successful project. For him this was the runway to pursue another opportunity, and Ewelina moved up in the company.

When Ewelina decided to lead a product team with no formal tech training, many people told her she would just embarrass herself. Yet despite her fear to fail, she decided to go for it.

How you can make a leap:

• Listen to your ambition: Even when others say no, trust what you want. Ewelina saw a chance for herself she needed to take and that feeling overrode the opinion of others.
• Jump before you feel ready: You will learn – better and faster – on the job. Do it even if you are afraid (as Ewelina was in the beginning). Approach it as an opportunity to learn.
• Invest in yourself: If you learn anything – whether it works or doesn’t work out – it’s a win. See it as an opportunity to invest in your personal and professional growth.

In the beginning, Ewelina focused on being a specialist and learning skills until she got feedback from her boss that opened her eyes.

How you can focus:

• Connect the dots: Your team members are specialists. Your job is to connect their skills with the big picture.
• Give them freedom: Listen and give your team members space to work independently. You point out the direction, they run with it.

Upon leaving her job, Ewelina knew she wanted to build something of her how, but didn’t feel ready. (Un)fortunately, she didn’t get into the MBA program she applied for, and she also couldn’t get excited about any of the products of the companies she was applying for jobs at.

How you can have the courage to follow your dreams:

• Believing in yourself as a leader: Bolster the believe in yourself that no matter how many failures or detours you have, at the end of the day, you will succeed.
• What’s the worst that can happen: Really ask yourself what the worst case scenario is. In most cases, you might have failed, but you will have learned a lot and met invaluable people on your journey.
• Get some perspective: Ewelina doesn’t remember the naysayers from her past. Your career is long – you will leave them behind. Don’t let them impact you in the long-term.
• Think about yourself: What do you want to do now that you will enjoy the next 30 years?
• Constructive vs. negative: Differentiate between constructive feedback and negative critics. If it helps you grow, listen, if it’s just meant to tear you down, tune out.