I Couldn’t Have Done it Alone
www.posiv.cz ǀ 61
WOMAN
Did that experience change you as a leader?
I believe it did. I started placing much greater emphasis
on the personal qualities of the people I invite into
my team. I realised that even if you have the best
expert in the world, if that person can’t fit into the team
and contribute constructively to the collective result,
they’re of little use to you.
As a leader, I try to motivate my team, lead by example,
and at the same time give everyone the space to balance
their personal and professional life — with deep respect
for each individual. Everyone is responsible for meeting
their goals, and as long as those goals are achieved,
I allow people plenty of freedom.
What are you most proud of in your professional
or personal life?
I see Stant in Ostrava as my “baby.” I know every
product, component, supplier and customer. The fact
that we managed to lift the Ostrava plant from a loss-
making operation to the best among all our branches is,
for me, a tremendous success and source of satisfaction.
But as I’ve already said, without my “dream team,”
I would never have achieved it.
Where do you draw your inner energy from –
especially when things don’t go according to plan?
What keeps you afloat when it all gets too much
and are you able to truly relax?
All my free time – which unfortunately isn’t much –
I devote to training my dogs. I have two American Bullies,
and although it’s not a breed primarily bred for sport,
I’ve taken up the path of sport cynology with them.
Aside from regular training sessions with the dogs,
my family and I love travelling the world. My son is into
downhill mountain biking, so we often visit bike parks
with him – and experience our own moments of mortal
fear during his rides.
Thank you for the interview.
I had a clear goal and mindset – that one
day I would run a large chemical plant.
Ing. Karin Hájková