Women in Aros Marine #Jurga Šiugždinytė

Women in Aros Marine #Jurga Šiugždinytė

We are now all used to seeing strong independent women achieving their career goals and gaining positions of power. The most amazing thing is how they manage to juggle work and family in the 100%-efficiency-oriented reality which our world has become.

The “Women in Aros Marine” series of articles are going to be dedicated to Aros Marine female managers and heads of department, who represent women in power who have achieved meaningful career success.

The first one to answer our questions about what it is for her to be a leader will be Jurga Šiugždinytė, the Head of the Procurement and Supply Chain Department:

What do You think are the major challenges of a modern female leader?

First of all, answering your question, I would like to quote Mark Sanborn, “You don’t need a title to be a leader”, as I believe it is most suitable here. The challenges, as I see it, are generally universal. The main one is to maintain personal and professional boundaries and to avoid micromanagement.  It is also important to have authority over your team, and at the same time to be supportive and encouraging for them to achieve the best results.

Who inspires You (a colleague, famous person, other)?

It is not one person that inspires me, but a bunch of them. I am lucky to have worked with outstanding manages and executives, from whom I’ve learned a great deal. All of them were leaders in the first place, not afraid to risk and make out of the box decisions and loyal to their team. Today it is the people I work with, both my team and other managers, their support and trust, that motivate me. What I’ve learned from them is very well put by Becky Brodin, “Leadership is not wielding authority, it’s empowering people.“

We often hear that „time management is the key“, and finding the balance between career and family isn’t exactly a piece of cake. What three pieces of advice or useful tools could You recommend to your colleagues?

Concerning time management, first of all, it is to avoid chaos in everyday activity. Plan your works by minute, put them in order and do not violate that order.

Second, make sure to have the right priorities: reschedule less necessary and urgent meetings for when you have more free time.

And finally, try to find your inner balance, because only when you are happy and satisfied you can be 100% efficient at work. As some unknown but very wise author said, “People with purpose, goals, and vision have no time for drama. Instead, they invest their energy into being creative. They focus on living a positive and fulfilling life.”

As to the work-life balance, I believe that family and health should always be in the first place.

What would be your pieces of advice to a newcomer?

Always be open to new experience, don’t be afraid to take risks when making a decision and don’t forget that everything is up to you, your endeavors and dedication. Be grateful for criticism, as it helps you improve yourself and don’t give up if something goes wrong, because, you know, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

I’d like to summarize it with T.Arigo’s words: “The hardest thing to do is leaving your comfort zone. But you have to let go of the life you’re familiar with and take the risk to live the life you dream about.”

Many thanks to Jurga for finding time and honestly sharing her opinion.