Yoga and spending time in nature are also important to Robyn.
“I do feel aligned with the philosophy of yoga,” she said. “It’s helped my resilience and taught me how to go with the flow. I’ve learnt to accept things as they are, make a situation work as it is and not push back on it.
“I also find it really good to spend a little bit of ‘me time’ in nature every weekend to reset. Whether that’s bushwalking or going to the beach, spending time in nature helps me.
“By looking after myself, I can bring that high energy into the team environment to encourage a productive week.”
Spreading the wellness vibe
Robyn’s personal philosophy about the importance of prioritising wellness is shared across the Elders Lifestyle Group.
As well as initiatives in the office, our leadership team recently took part in a corporate yoga and wellness seminar.
“It’s important that everyone in the business understands the importance of wellness and how it impacts your career,” Robyn said. “This needs to start at the leadership level and filter down throughout the business.
“There are a number of things we do as a business. It’s all about having options for the team, so it’s easy for them to embrace wellness by choosing something that works for them.
“We have fresh fruit, not sweet biscuits, always available in the kitchen for the team. We also have a personal training group for people who want to participate, and offer a few perks like massages as a reward system for joining in. As an office, we promote and support anyone who wants to take part.
“We care about the health of our team and these initiatives are about helping them to make good choices. It’s also important to show people that having energy and being healthy is something you actively need to work at. Knowing you can take control of your health is empowering.”
Each team member is also entitled to take the day off work on their birthday, an initiative which Robyn said has been happily embraced by the whole office.
Community minded
As well as a healthy mind and body, the team at the Elders Lifestyle Group is passionate about supporting their local community.
“Everyone in the office has one day they can take off work every year, so they can volunteer for a charity or a cause of their choice,” Robyn said.
“We do have a very community-minded culture in all our offices, so this opportunity is something everyone enjoys doing and as a business it’s important to us that we can support it.”
Throughout the year, the offices in the Elders Lifestyle Group support a number of charities including Daffodil Day, Jeans for Genes day, The Biggest Morning Tea and the Youth Off The Streets Real Estate Sleep Out.
Future focused
Although she’s enjoyed many great highlights as a business leader, Robyn still has plenty of career goals in her sights.
“At 61, I feel as energetic and vital as I have ever been,” she said.
“For me, the timing on the next step is about knowing what is right for me and then acting on it. At the moment, I’m involved in personal development coaching to enhance my skills, and I’m focusing on mentoring others in the industry and passing on a legacy.”
Why I love real estate
Robyn said that the most rewarding part of her career is the longstanding relationships she’s built with people.
“I pride myself on the relationships I’ve sustained over the years,” she said. “And I have quality people around me, both colleagues and clients, who have backed me in the not-so-good times and have celebrated with me in the great times.
“There are so many rewarding moments in this industry and I really enjoy those winning days, the feeling of productivity and progress of the business.”
Robyn uses her management position to spread high energy vibes across her team.
“I’ve seen how this can become part of the culture in the team,” she said.
“I also love the mentoring opportunities that come with my role. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with my team. Some people in the team have been working with me for 15 years and I’m really proud to see they are still here, still enjoying their work and having fun.”
Professional and personal authenticity
Robyn strongly believes that leaders need to be consistent.
“You must always lead by example,” she said. “An effective leader holds themselves to account and tries to be a role model in everything they do.
“Your personal life and personal values are important, so making sure they are consistent with your professional values is essential. How you conduct yourself in all areas of your life needs to shine through when you are a leader.
“Your leadership style needs to reflect who you genuinely are as a person and how you live your life. If you behave one way in the office and are different outside of work then people will see you as fake. When you are a leader, it’s important how other people see you, if they don’t believe in you then you won’t be an effective leader.
“As a leader, you also need to stay open to feedback and be willing to work on self-improvement. There is always something you can do to be better than you were yesterday.”
This article first appeared in the Sept/Oct REINSW Journal
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