Resilience, navigating setbacks and redefining success over time
Resilience, for me, is less about dramatic turning points and more about how we navigate the many smaller setbacks that shape a long career. Files will not always go the way we hoped, opportunities will sometimes go to someone else, and there will be phases where personal and professional demands pull in different directions. What matters is learning to see these moments as part of a longer journey, rather than as an immediate verdict on our abilities.
Over time, this has changed my view of success. Early on, I tended to measure it mainly through hard work, steep learning curves and the pace of progression. Today, success also means being able to sustain my energy over time, feeling at peace with the choices I make and knowing that my contribution serves clients, colleagues and the wider team. Supporting others, especially those who underestimate their own work, is an important part of that.
I also believe it is important to recognise that we cannot do everything at once. We are not superheroes. Accepting that has helped me to focus on what really matters in each stage and to be more open about the fact that everyone experiences doubt, pressure or moments of fatigue. Creating space to talk about these realities, without seeing them as weakness, is in itself a form of resilience.
For me, what it takes to lead is the ability to hold ambition and humanity together: to acknowledge when the path is not linear, to treat setbacks as information rather than failure, and to model a definition of success that leaves room for both high standards and self‑respect, for ourselves and for those we work with.
