Petia Dimitrova: The leader is distinguished by his courage, creativity, and desire for success
Mrs. Dimitrova, what qualities should a lady possess to be successful in her career and fulfilled in her family?
Women are distinctly intuitive, flexible, and adaptable to change, with a more empathetic view of the world, and these are all qualities that have their advantages in a fast-paced business environment. However, I am confident that professionalism and managerial skills depend solely on personal motivation, purpose, and competence. A leader must have courage, creativity, and a desire to succeed, and these will set him or her apart from all others. I believe one must be well prepared and willing to learn from everyone and every situation to move forward, but at the same time, be able to stand up for yourself. This is the key to inner balance, peace of mind, and satisfaction – both personally and professionally. At Postbank, we encourage creativity and innovation, the creative spirit, and diversity and give way to bold ideas. These are among the most important elements I insist on as a manager, and I believe they work flawlessly. Over time, I have come to understand that the role of a manager is to set the direction, to be able to inspire others with their enthusiasm, persistence and creativity, to be able to listen, to be at the forefront when challenges arise because great ideas and goals are born in team play. At the heart of all our successes are people – courageous, motivated, and driven, who know how to challenge themselves and look ahead.
What has been your most rewarding professional achievement, and why?
Recognition of the work done in these twenty years at Postbank, filled with constant development, building on the achievements and conquering new heights, are the many prestigious international and national awards. Yet the true measure of my work and that of my team is the satisfaction of our customers. Their trust is the best evaluation. I am glad that at the end of each working day, I have an even greater desire for the next one, and I see this motivation in my team as well. I dedicate my time to many organisations, and it does not weigh me down. It energises me with new positive emotions because we are working on many exciting projects. I can hardly rank them, but one of my favourite projects is Dare to Scale, a growth programme aimed at entrepreneurs and businesses that are growing their operations. The programme is organised by the Bulgarian office of the global entrepreneurial network Endeavor with main partner Postbank for the third consecutive year. It is extremely important for us to support the ambitions of companies that are looking to scale their business and thus change the entire ecosystem. I am also proud of one of the latest accolades we received recently – Postbank was named Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute, which certifies the best places to work in the world. I take it as recognition of our innovative vision and uncompromising standards and our inspired and exceptional team. Last but not least, banks can set a good example for society by showing active concern for the effective management of the environmental impact of our activities. We are about to introduce and implement our new project, “Bank for Green Ideas”. With its strongly focused environmental theme, it will be a significant pillar in our corporate social responsibility towards society.
On the eve of March 8, what would you wish for Bulgarian women?
Never give up on your dreams and once you achieve them, look for new ones. Move forward, seize the moment and evolve.
I will share with your readers a favourite thought attributed to the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher: “If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman”.
