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For our “Leader’s style” section, we talked with Pedersen & Partners Global Partner Evita Lune about leadership, fulfilment and ambition. Evita will be a speaker at the “Leaders 2020” forum in May, on the theme of inspiring women not to fear reaching their goals.

Evita is convinced that women in Latvia have great opportunities to grow professionally, but constrain their own development unnecessarily.

Latvian “How to be happy” lifestyle magazine

Does one need to give anything up in order to succeed in a career?

A happy and balanced person should strive for fulfilment in four key areas: personal, professional, physical and spiritual. If any of these areas is neglected, the others will suffer too.

I do not believe that in 2019, there is a happy and fulfilled woman who just sits at home doing a little gardening, or a truly spiritual being who is in poor physical shape.

What characteristics should a leader possess? Do you think leaders are born or raised, or do you think that anyone can become a leader?

A leader should have a strategic vision. She/he should be inspirational and determined. A leader should have natural respect for other people and a passion to notice and develop their talents.

A modern leader sets an example for others, is a role model and works hard. She/he has to be successful herself/ himself, walk the talk and be well-educated and highly disciplined.

Many of these qualities are passed on to us by our parents, by their example and upbringing – but outstanding leaders must develop and educate themselves throughout their lifetime!

How can you increase your faith in yourself and your abilities?

You need to set ambitious goals and do good things. Your joy and pride in your results will motivate you to continue.

What would you suggest to a woman who wants to change her life, but is afraid to do so?

Think with your head, and do not rely on emotions. A rational decision is rarely risky or destructive.

What is the best advice you have heard from a mentor or another inspirational leader?

Do not let anyone distract you from your goals!

What is one principle you follow when making an important decision?

Remember your priorities in life and act according to them.

What is the best way to live with mistakes and criticism?

You need to be able to identify what mistakes and criticism are important in order to grow professionally. Everything else should be forgotten, ignored or laughed at.

Where do you find peace in stressful situations?

As a leader, you must be ready to solve problems and fight for your own ideas.  This will not be difficult or cause stress if the leader is physically and morally mature, so the leader must ensure this and not expose the team to stressful situations.

Evita Lune is a Partner who drives the firm’s Global Digital Economy. She has completed over 100 senior level assignments in over 40 countries within this practice, out of her total portfolio of over 600 assignments. Ms. Lune works extensively with FinTech clients from the Nordics and supports their global expansion plans on all continents by providing effective executive search solutions. She also supports clients in the Middle East and South East Asia with bringing Nordic talent to drive digital transformation in other geographies. Her previous experience includes three years with the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga as the Executive MBA Program Director and six years with Shell in international and regional marketing management functions in Riga, Budapest, and Brussels. Ms. Lune was a speaker at the CEE FutureTech congress in Warsaw – one of the most important business summits in Central and Eastern Europe and participated in the Blockchain Pre-Accelerator Program at University of Latvia. She is also a blogger for RigaTechGirls, a Jury Member of CEE Capital Markets and FinTech Awards and a Contributing Advisor at the Digital Freedom Festival.  Ms. Lune was recognised by Forbes as one of the top 25 most influential women in Latvia for two years in a row. Ms. Lune has a PhD in Social Economy. Evita Lune speaks fluent Latvian, English, and Russian and has passive fluency in German, Swedish, and Polish.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 57 wholly owned offices in 53 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com