What is the most valuable thing you have learned from your role?

If that's ok, I'll share two lessons learned and both are equally important to me.

The first thing that program management taught me is that it's not always what you do that is important, but rather whom you speak to. In situations when many activities are ongoing at the same time people typically focus on one specific area and, as a result, have less visibility in others. Having that visibility on what other colleagues are doing can often help to make a more informed decision, optimize the work, do things more effectively as a team and achieve a greater impact. As a leader, therefore, it's important to promote networking as much as possible to empower people to share and support each other.

The second thing is a bit linked to the first one. Things are never black & white and it's never about 'either this or that'. The truth is always somewhere in the middle - a so-called 'win-win' situation will satisfy both parties, strengthen relationships and enable things to move further (compared to a situation when neither is willing to give way). Whatever the task (internally with colleagues or with customers and suppliers), the outcome of it has to satisfy everyone involved. Yes, it will require some sacrifices, but those are necessary measures to move forward and ultimately achieve more.