Ana Ilie: How a Leader Transforms Adversity into Opportunities for Growth

With solid experience in people management, Ana Ilie – Mindset Coach – has understood that a team’s success largely depends on the success of its leader. This mindset helped her overcome difficult and delicate situations, such as “mini-revolts” within the team, by applying the principle of 100% responsibility. Essentially, Ana transformed adversity into opportunities for growth, both for herself and for her team.

Her core values – responsibility, contribution, and compassion – define her leadership style, as Ana firmly believes that a people manager works for the team, not the other way around. By approaching challenges with empathy and understanding, she helps her colleagues overcome obstacles and grow harmoniously, creating a work environment built on trust. This is exactly what teams need to perform at their best.

To young people just starting their careers, Ana recommends finding a mentor who can provide valuable insights and practical advice to help them reach their goals more quickly.

C&B: You mentioned that a team’s success largely depends on the leader’s success. How did you come to this conclusion, and how do you apply this mindset in your leadership style?

Ana Ilie: I learned that a leader’s success is the team’s success during a Train of Trainers on Leadership in the U.S. When I heard it, I realized it made 100% sense and was completely true. How can a leader be good if their team isn’t performing? How can a leader not be good when their team is functioning extremely well? The team’s performance is the leader’s “business card,” and the leader cannot exist without the team they lead. It still seems incredibly logical to me. The way I apply this idea is by focusing heavily on what my colleagues need to succeed. By supporting them in achieving success, I am successfully fulfilling my role as a leader.

C&B: You’ve managed to turn adversity into opportunities for growth, such as handling “mini-revolts” within the team. Can you share a concrete example and what you learned from that experience?

Ana Ilie: The concrete way I handled the “mini-revolt” was by not responding with aggression, even though I felt deeply hurt on a personal level. I didn’t punish those who “rebelled” against me, I didn’t criticize them, I didn’t create obstacles for them, and I didn’t use my managerial power to give them what’s often referred to as a “lesson.”

Instead, I fully supported the leader of the “mini-revolt” with all my knowledge so that she could learn the specific activities needed for a team leader. I prioritized the time invested in transferring knowledge to her and didn’t withhold any valuable information for myself. I supported her as if she were being mentored by me, disregarding the backstage moves she made to try to push me out of the team leader role.

What I learned was to respond with compassion in the face of aggression, because no one is aggressive when they are happy. Aggression is a symptom of suffering, and the only proper response to suffering is compassion in action.

C&B: Responsibility, contribution, and compassion are your core values. How do these guide the way you interact with your team, and how do you pass them on to your colleagues?
Ana Ilie: I don’t interact with a team; I interact with people. I understand that behind the faces that seem to form a team, there are fears and aspirations related not only to their jobs but also to their personal lives.

It is my responsibility, as a leader, to treat their issues as if they were my own. It is my responsibility to prioritize their goals just as I do my own.

Contribution is the key to happiness in both life and work. We are “social animals,” so we need to coexist and support each other. If we didn’t do this—if no one supported anyone else and no one contributed to the well-being of others—society, as we know it, wouldn’t exist. We wouldn’t have reached our current level of development, and most likely, we wouldn’t have survived as a species.

So, as people, we need to help each other. We need to contribute to our colleague’s success because that’s the only way the team can evolve. And that is only possible if we understand the other’s challenges so we can contribute what they need. Responsibility, contribution, and empathy go hand in hand.

C&B: You approach challenges with empathy and understanding. How do you create a work environment based on trust, where the team feels supported and encouraged to perform?
Ana Ilie: I create a work environment based on trust through transparency. I openly talk about the challenges I’ve faced or am currently facing, without falling into victimization. Transparency helps find effective solutions. When mistakes happen or deadlines are missed, my main message is, “Let’s find the root cause and the solution we can apply next time to do things better.” I also make sure that the successes, big or small, of team members are publicly recognized, and I encourage everyone to do the same.

The team will trust the leader only if the leader first shows trust in them. This is the method I apply: leading by personal example.

C&B: You emphasized that a people manager works for the team, not the other way around. How do you inspire leaders in the organizations you work with to adopt this approach, and how do you support them in developing their teams?
Ana Ilie: From my experience, there’s no better way to inspire others than through personal example. And for others to adopt your style, they need to have the same goals and desires. Unfortunately, I can’t confirm that I’ve inspired my fellow team leaders with my approach, because it’s very challenging on a personal level. It’s extremely emotionally demanding to put the team first instead of prioritizing your own aspirations to look good in front of management.

Often, targets are set so high that the pressure to perform drives you to make short-term decisions, losing sight of medium- and long-term goals. Leadership is not a short-term technique nor a popularity contest. As a leader, you need to know yourself very well, trust yourself, and take ownership of unpopular decisions that have a long-term impact.

From my experience, the level of personal development among leaders is very low, which creates the toxic environments everyone talks about.

C&B: You recommend young professionals find a mentor. How has a mentor helped you in your career, and how can young people identify the right mentor for them?
Ana Ilie: The way my first mentor helped me was by giving me answers I had been searching for for years. They changed my perspective on life, the world, and reality. They gave me the key that opened many doors and helped me improve my self-awareness, make decisions aligned with my values, and develop a healthy mindset.

So, I recommend young people seek out a mentor who can offer valuable perspectives and not hesitate to ask for them.

C&B: What advice would you give to young people to find a mentor that suits them?
Ana Ilie: To find a suitable mentor, young people need to be clear about what they want to achieve. A mentor is not just an experienced person; they should resonate with your values, goals, and personality. Therefore, it’s important to look at the professional and personal journey of potential mentors to see if it aligns with what you aspire to become. Another essential aspect is the mentor’s willingness to share their experiences.

My advice is to start by identifying people they admire in the industry or in other fields and to try to connect with them. It may seem intimidating to approach someone more experienced, but most leaders want to contribute to the development of young individuals, especially if they see passion and a desire to learn.

Another crucial thing is to be open and not wait for the mentor to provide ready-made solutions. A good mentor won’t tell you what to do; they will guide you to find the answers yourself based on your own values and experiences.

C&B: Outside of your career, how do you apply your core values in your personal life? Is there a connection between how you lead your team and how you live your daily life?
Ana Ilie: Absolutely, my values are the same in both my professional and personal life. I don’t believe you can be authentic if you change your values based on the context. In my family, in my relationships with friends, or in interactions with strangers, I adhere to the same principles of responsibility, contribution, and compassion.

For example, in my family, I believe that each member has the responsibility to contribute to the well-being of others, just as I do in a team. I don’t like to sit on the sidelines waiting for others to do things for me. Just as I take responsibility for supporting my colleagues at work, I do the same at home.

Compassion is also a core value in my personal life. I understand that everyone has their own challenges, and I don’t judge; I try to be helpful. For instance, when someone dear to me goes through a tough time, I try to be present, listen, and offer support without trying to “fix” everything.

C&B: What do you think are the biggest challenges leaders face today, and how can they be overcome?
Ana Ilie: One of the biggest challenges for leaders today is managing stress and the constant pressure to perform. In a world where technological and economic changes are rapid, leaders often feel compelled to keep up with all the news and deliver immediate results, which can lead to burnout and short-term decision-making.

The solution isn’t to work harder but to learn how to prioritize your time and energy correctly. Leaders need to learn to focus on long-term goals and maintain a balance between their personal and professional lives. It is also essential to develop emotional skills and resilience to cope with challenges without becoming overwhelmed.

Another major challenge is creating an inclusive and diverse work environment. Leaders must be attentive to the needs and differences of their teams and be able to communicate effectively with people from various cultural and professional backgrounds. To overcome this challenge, it’s essential for leaders to develop emotional intelligence and learn to create a space where everyone feels valued and respected.

C&B: If you could go back in time and give yourself advice at the beginning of your career, what would it be?
Ana Ilie: If I could go back in time, I would tell myself not to be afraid of making mistakes and to be kinder to myself. I have always been very self-demanding and was afraid of disappointing those around me. This fear made me avoid certain opportunities and focus too much on being “perfect” rather than learning and growing.

I would tell myself that you don’t have to have all the answers from the start, and it’s okay to ask for help or to admit that you don’t know something. I believe this advice would have shortened my journey and given me more freedom to explore and grow without the fear of failure.