Community spotlight: Karren LeGear

The Victoria Tech Community Awards showcase the community of 1,000 companies and 17,000 workers who push innovation forward, and drive the city’s $4 billion tech economy. Our spotlight series highlights award finalists and winners so you can get to know them a little bit better. Read about other community members here.

Today, we’re featuring Karren Le Gear, chief operating officer of RFDM Solutions Inc.

What does leadership in a technology business mean to you?

To me, this means being a part of a community of creative and technical experts working together to find the right solution. It’s also about building connections with your team, clients, and partners through active listening, encouragement, and support.

What professional growth advice would you give individuals who are early in their careers about success?

Never be afraid to speak up. Whether it’s providing ideas in a brainstorming session, networking with a bunch of intimidating titles, setting boundaries or setting up goals and direction in where you would like to go and grow with a company. Don’t assume everyone knows what you want or what you are thinking or that they don’t value your opinion.

Always be open to feedback and open to trying new things to continuously learn and develop yourself, you may surprise yourself. Finally, know when it may be time to move on; you are in charge of your own destiny.

Who do you admire for their leadership and why?

I admire any leader who puts people first in their company, and that can foster and grow talent regardless if that means they may grow out of their team or the company. Providing an environment of mutual respect and appreciation for what each team member has to offer is key to admirable leadership.

Why is this nomination important to you?

We need more female leaders, especially in areas that are underrepresented such as the tech sector. For me, being nominated and selected as a finalist is a step in the right direction in showing all women that it’s possible to work their way toward a leadership position despite where they started.

We also need to continue to bring awareness to the human side of the tech sector. Leadership as a whole can often be undervalued. Oftentimes technical skill sets outweigh emotional intelligence during the hiring and this can create dysfunction within the team or even with clients.

I am excited to have the opportunity to lead by example and inspire those who have a lot of the soft skills they need naturally as a leader to take the plunge and join the technology industry. Natural talents can’t be taught but skill sets can.