Leadership Q&A with Sunny Song: "Always show empathy"

Sunny Song, director at Michael Page Suzhou, says one of the highlights of being a leader is seeing her people grow.

What prompted your move into recruiting?

I was attracted to the recruitment industry because it provided great opportunities to work closely with senior people from different industries. Michael Page also had a good working environment and interesting colleagues.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day always starts with a big Americano at around 8am. And then it’s off to conducting urgent calls with clients or candidates who are based in North America. I then have other management and team meetings/training sessions before proceeding to source for candidates. In the late afternoons, I make calls to clients based in Europe. I call it a day after 7.30pm and head to the gym or dinner and drinks with family.

Please share with us your leadership journey so far. Have you encountered any challenges as a woman in leadership?

Women leaders are generally thought to be more emotional compared their male counterparts, due in part to unconscious bias. I’ve done the following things to overcome that bias.

•  Always present numbers and facts when delivering results/bonus/promotions
• Control my emotions — no matter what happens, always stay positive
• Put myself in others’ shoes when there is any conflict to understand why the other party responds in a certain manner. Think before talking and try to always talk in a calm way

What do you enjoy most about being a leader?

Seeing my team members grow into better people.

How can women grow as leaders both in and out of the workplace?

Work hard and play hard. Strike a balance between work and home and know which hat to put on when playing different roles.

Click here to be inspired by stories of women and read about leadership tips, working across cultures and achieving work-life balance.