NEWSROOM
Leadership, diversity and imposter syndrome
15 September 2023
Alice Wang is a high achiever; her resume is stacked with qualifications and awards, including the elite honour of being selected as a Rhodes Scholar and completing not one but two master’s degrees during her time at Oxford. Currently residing in Sydney, Alice is the acting General Manager, Global Strategy at Xero, alongside volunteer roles as a Trustee for Chamber Music New Zealand and Deputy National Secretary for the Rhodes Scholarship in China. Despite all her accomplishments, Alice admits she has grappled with imposter syndrome at times, but by aligning herself with great leaders and allowing herself to be guided by her curiosity, she has cultivated both her confidence and a diverse career path.
A first-generation New Zealander, Alice arrived in Aotearoa at the age of four and went on to attend Avondale College and Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, where she graduated with a conjoint Bachelor of Laws and Arts majoring in economics and philosophy. While studying, Alice was also actively involved in co-curricular activities and joined Velocity (then Spark) when she found herself drawn to the passion and vision of Geoff Whitcher, the Founding Director of the Business School’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CIE). “It seemed like a great group of people that had a lot of fun together.” It was here that she nurtured her passion for social enterprise and the positive impact it can have on the world while also cultivating tangible life skills: “There was a lot of excellent teamwork, and I gained skills that have served me well.”
Having a good set of transferrable skills is crucial for navigating the modern career landscape, which can no longer be represented by a straight ladder. Alice is the first to confess that her career path can seem “pretty random” having dabbled in law, public policy, consulting, start-ups and tech. However, the common thread that ties Alice’s choices together has been her curiosity and passion for social impact. “I’m always drawn to opportunities to create positive impact and help the underdog.”
Alice highlights her time working with Professor Ngaire Woods as an example of when her curiosity and desire to collaborate with an impactful leader led her to explore new topics. Ngaire Woods is the Founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government and Professor of Global Economic Governance at Oxford University, a fellow University of Auckland alumnus, and a woman whom Alice describes as a “trailblazer, brilliant leader, and role model”. During her time with Professor Woods, Alice helped produce a report on the impact of diversity on corporate governance. While Alice views this as a career segue, diversity is a topic that often resonates with Alice as she reflects on her own life experience.
A lack of diverse and relatable role models can often fuel imposter syndrome, a challenge that Alice, despite her accomplishments, openly acknowledges experiencing. Alice recalls that when she was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, very few women of colour had received the honour before: “Several people in New Zealand said to me “Don’t you have to play rugby to get that scholarship?”.” Fortunately, the leadership landscape is changing, and Alice is confident that increased diversity has a lot to offer, including the richness found in different perspectives.
In February, Xero appointed Sukhinder Singh Cassidy as CEO. Alice feels inspired by Sukhinder, who breaks many of the stereotypes of what a leader of a successful global tech company looks like. “She’s an incredible business leader, with so much energy and flair. I really admire how openly she talks about her personal journey”. Alice also believes there is huge value in what women bring to leadership roles. “I’ve noticed women bring a different style of leadership and effectiveness to organisations.”
When asked to identify what qualities she admires in a leader, Alice lists authenticity as key. “It feels like a cliche to say, but authenticity fundamentally underpins how someone leads.” In addition, being a good communicator, an openness to feedback and “a willingness to be bold” are all deemed important. “Having a growth mindset and being open to feedback has been hugely helpful – I believe everyone is constantly growing and developing at all stages of a career.” Alice aims to incorporate the traits she has admired in leaders into her own leadership roles. Often, women are raised to be people-pleasers, so making a conscious effort to prioritise respect over likeability while maintaining compassion is key, according to Alice.
Alice feels lucky to have created a network of mentors and role models. “I’ve been really fortunate to have had a lot of great female and male leaders to look up to and learn from.” While luck certainly plays a part in any career, Alice’s openness and confidence to try and work in areas where she has little or no experience has served her well. Alice links this willingness to experiment and take risks in her career back to having an entrepreneurial mindset: “I’ve never been too shy about launching myself into an area that I haven’t worked in before, I think entrepreneurs do this all the time.”
15 September 2023
Alice Wang is a high achiever; her resume is stacked with qualifications and awards, including the elite honour of being selected as a Rhodes Scholar and completing not one but two master’s degrees during her time at Oxford. Currently residing in Sydney, Alice is the acting General Manager, Global Strategy at Xero, alongside volunteer roles as a Trustee for Chamber Music New Zealand and Deputy National Secretary for the Rhodes Scholarship in China. Despite all her accomplishments, Alice admits she has grappled with imposter syndrome at times, but by aligning herself with great leaders and allowing herself to be guided by her curiosity, she has cultivated both her confidence and a diverse career path.
A first-generation New Zealander, Alice arrived in Aotearoa at the age of four and went on to attend Avondale College and Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, where she graduated with a conjoint Bachelor of Laws and Arts majoring in economics and philosophy. While studying, Alice was also actively involved in co-curricular activities and joined Velocity (then Spark) when she found herself drawn to the passion and vision of Geoff Whitcher, the Founding Director of the Business School’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CIE). “It seemed like a great group of people that had a lot of fun together.” It was here that she nurtured her passion for social enterprise and the positive impact it can have on the world while also cultivating tangible life skills: “There was a lot of excellent teamwork, and I gained skills that have served me well.”
Having a good set of transferrable skills is crucial for navigating the modern career landscape, which can no longer be represented by a straight ladder. Alice is the first to confess that her career path can seem “pretty random” having dabbled in law, public policy, consulting, start-ups and tech. However, the common thread that ties Alice’s choices together has been her curiosity and passion for social impact. “I’m always drawn to opportunities to create positive impact and help the underdog.”
Alice highlights her time working with Professor Ngaire Woods as an example of when her curiosity and desire to collaborate with an impactful leader led her to explore new topics. Ngaire Woods is the Founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government and Professor of Global Economic Governance at Oxford University, a fellow University of Auckland alumnus, and a woman whom Alice describes as a “trailblazer, brilliant leader, and role model”. During her time with Professor Woods, Alice helped produce a report on the impact of diversity on corporate governance. While Alice views this as a career segue, diversity is a topic that often resonates with Alice as she reflects on her own life experience.
A lack of diverse and relatable role models can often fuel imposter syndrome, a challenge that Alice, despite her accomplishments, openly acknowledges experiencing. Alice recalls that when she was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, very few women of colour had received the honour before: “Several people in New Zealand said to me “Don’t you have to play rugby to get that scholarship?”.” Fortunately, the leadership landscape is changing, and Alice is confident that increased diversity has a lot to offer, including the richness found in different perspectives.
In February, Xero appointed Sukhinder Singh Cassidy as CEO. Alice feels inspired by Sukhinder, who breaks many of the stereotypes of what a leader of a successful global tech company looks like. “She’s an incredible business leader, with so much energy and flair. I really admire how openly she talks about her personal journey”. Alice also believes there is huge value in what women bring to leadership roles. “I’ve noticed women bring a different style of leadership and effectiveness to organisations.”
When asked to identify what qualities she admires in a leader, Alice lists authenticity as key. “It feels like a cliche to say, but authenticity fundamentally underpins how someone leads.” In addition, being a good communicator, an openness to feedback and “a willingness to be bold” are all deemed important. “Having a growth mindset and being open to feedback has been hugely helpful – I believe everyone is constantly growing and developing at all stages of a career.” Alice aims to incorporate the traits she has admired in leaders into her own leadership roles. Often, women are raised to be people-pleasers, so making a conscious effort to prioritise respect over likeability while maintaining compassion is key, according to Alice.
Alice feels lucky to have created a network of mentors and role models. “I’ve been really fortunate to have had a lot of great female and male leaders to look up to and learn from.” While luck certainly plays a part in any career, Alice’s openness and confidence to try and work in areas where she has little or no experience has served her well. Alice links this willingness to experiment and take risks in her career back to having an entrepreneurial mindset: “I’ve never been too shy about launching myself into an area that I haven’t worked in before, I think entrepreneurs do this all the time.”
EMAIL
CIE@AUCKLAND.AC.NZ
POSTAL ADDRESS
THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND BUSINESS SCHOOL
PRIVATE BAG 92019, AUCKLAND
