Becoming a great leader is a process that requires hard work, determination and self-awareness, as well as lots of support. We asked three of our recently promoted team leaders to share with us how they got to where they are now, how they were supported by their peers and managers, and what leadership means to them.
Toni Graham, Billing Team Leader (Metering Transactions)
Describe your journey through Wave to where you are now
I started with Wave in 2019 as a Metering Contracting Co-ordinator. I’d been a manager in my previous job and was clear in my interview that I wanted to progress. Wave assured me that there were plenty of opportunities for progression, and after around two and a half years in my role, a team leader position came up in the Onboarding team. I applied and was successful. Then earlier this year I became the manager of a new team in Metering.
What do you like about having a leadership role?
This sounds self-indulgent, but I really feel like I was meant to be a leader. I’m a leader in my personal life as well as my professional life - I like to take charge and maybe I’m a bit of a control freak! I like helping and supporting people, and I like driving results. I also love comradery - when you’re a leader, you see how everyone feeds into the bigger picture.
Have you received any support to help you get to where you are?
From day one I was very clear that I wanted to become a team leader, and I had a lot of support. There were no team leader roles at the time in my department, so I was put on a progression plan and set up with a mentor. I’d have fortnightly catch ups and support with applications, and when I didn’t get the job, we looked at the feedback together. When the team leader position came up for the Onboarding team, I felt I had a lot of the tools already because of the support I was given by both my mentor and manager. The support has been amazing, and unlike any other company I’ve worked for.
What does leadership mean to you?
It means setting an example and leading by example. It’s about embracing the company values and instilling them in your team. I’ve been a bad manager before, but you learn from it, and I knew I didn’t want to make the same mistakes with Wave. Being a good leader is feeding into the bigger picture and making an impact on the business.
Liam Hall, Credit Control & Collections Team Leader
Describe your journey through Wave to where you are now
I started off at Essex & Suffolk Water, and when the water retail market opened in 2017, I moved to Wave’s Credit Control team. I was promoted to Senior Advisor, and then again to Credit Control Customer Payments Team Leader just as we went into lockdown. It was a new team, and it was a bit scary, but it was good.
What do you like about having a leadership role?
Just working with people, working with the team. I organise and support the team wherever I can to drive the performance and results the way we want to. It’s good to build and have those relationships and help the business overall.
Have you received any support to help you get to where you are?
I received a lot of support. When I first joined the business I had a lot of experience as an advisor but none as a leader, so working with my manager and team leaders at the time helped me develop that knowledge. I went for three or four jobs before I got this one, and every single time I received support from my line manager. They helped me to understand what I was doing wrong with my CV, went through the interview questions with me, and gave feedback. I also asked for shadowing sessions so I could learn more about the role and that really helped me to improve and grow.
What does leadership mean to you?
To me, leadership means leading by example. It means being organised, supporting others, and developing yourself as well as the team. You should help everybody, not just in terms of the team but in the wider business too.
Nathan Graham, SME Customer Team Leader
Describe your journey through Wave to where you are now
I started three years ago as a Customer Service Advisor. I was in that role for about a year and a half, then moved up to Senior Customer Service Advisor. Earlier this year I was promoted again to Customer Team Leader in SME, so it’s been a full progression from advisor to team leader throughout the department.
What do you like about having a leadership role?
I’ve been in customer service for 13 years now and it’s always been self-focused – my goals, my targets and my KPIs. It’s nice to still have my own targets, but to also be able to impart my knowledge and skills to the team and get them to their goals and targets. Within roles I’ve always been a trainer or a coaching part, so it’s nice to sit with people and have more interaction within a department.
Have you received any support to help you get to where you are?
My operations manager has been amazing as a mentor, as well as the person I took over from. I was on his team for just over two years and sat next to him, and when I got the role I asked him what I need as it was my first team leader role in any business. I was thinking ‘can I do it?’ but the support, from both team leaders in the department and higher management, has been amazing.
What does leadership mean to you?
To me I suppose leadership means you’ve got a team that looks up to you, and you need to support them. It’s not just giving orders, it’s coming together as a department and as a team in order to get to that one unified goal.
If you're interested in starting your journey with Wave, check out our current job vacancies.
