Female Leaders - IWD2022 - Ashley Burella

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, Krishnan interviews Ashley Burella, Head of Strategy & Insights, LEGOLAND® Parks – North America

and Head of Marketing, Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida

• How would you advise young women leaders on how to build confidence in their ability as a manager and leader?  
•  
• I think it’s important to remember that the biggest tool you have against misconceptions is the credibility that you build. You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room but if you know how to find the people with the right answers, the right expertise, and you make the entire process easier just because you’re a part of it, you’ve built credibility on your ability to influence which is one of the most important things you can do as a manager or leader. It also makes you the most invaluable type of employee there is: a team player. And your confidence will increase because you will feel like you have the right resources and relationships in place to make sure that you are always equipped for managing situations and business problems as they come up.

• What advice will you give to your younger self?  
•  
• Comparing yourself to other people is wasted time. Career success for you doesn’t have to look like a corner office, it could just be financial stability and a challenging enough role to keep you interested while you focus on your friends and family outside of work.  In planning your career, look at the roles in terms of how they will set you up for your next career move/role toward that ultimate view of “success” so that, in the end, you’re moving in the trajectory you want for the balance you want and not in the direction you feel like you “have to go” based on some internal career planning or even what people you know have done. No one else is planning your career against your own barometer of success so don’t apologize for it.