International Women’s Day feature with Alexandra Jatzke, Simplex Health
As a women-owned business, we are honored to highlight women who are incredible leaders in marketing and communications across a wide variety of industries. Each year on International Women’s Day we share an interview series celebrating these women and sharing their stories.
This interview is with Alexandra Jatzke, Director of Training & Development at Simplex Health.
How do you define your leadership?
I believe that as a leader I have a responsibility to serve my team, and I serve them best by setting clear expectations, providing opportunities for each individual to share and receive feedback, identifying and nurturing each of their unique strengths, and providing opportunities for growth. I feel I must also lead by example and strive to understand a “day in the life” and the challenges the team faces on a daily basis. When each person feels heard, respected, and understood, they develop the confidence to learn & grow into leaders themselves.
How has your leadership changed in the past year?
My team has become almost entirely remote, which presents a challenge to ensuring everyone feels included and part of a cohesive group with a common mission. As a company, we have had to get creative in how we stay connected throughout the day, and how we provide opportunities for collaboration within the distributed team. In a remote environment, work-life balance and mental health have been challenged in ways that no one was prepared for a few years ago. I’ve become more attentive to the signs of burnout and strive to make sure each person feels supported.
Can you share a story that demonstrates a key learning for you in your leadership journey?
I was once told that if you think you are ready for leadership, then you are not ready for leadership. This helped me to realize that leadership requires stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, making sacrifices, learning from the failures, and continually working on self-improvement & growth.
