Lessons from Auntie V: Former JBDC CEO recounts leadership

“We have many caterpillars that can be butterflies, with help.” Words of wisdom, drawn from Alvin Day but also built through years of experience of Valerie Veira’s leadership of the Jamaica Business Development Commission (JBDC).

Veria, who recently demitted office as the CEO of the JBDC, has spent twenty-three years helping to build out the local ecosystem for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), with a career spanning nearly 50 years in the public service.

She shared a few gems from her journey with Loop News, one of the most important being to “always make sure that your lenses are clear.”

“Don’t go into any situation presuming and influencing any decision based on your own reality. You need to go in with an open mind and clear eyes so you can see and understand the other person or the situation clearly. Do not be influenced by your own experiences,” she said.

She encouraged younger leaders to make decisions based on the merits of the situation at hand and not to “bring their baggage” into the mix as this “is not always helpful.”

Being mindful of the emotional and mental welfare of your staff is also paramount, she said.

“You employ a whole person. When they come to work, they bring everything to the job and we have to recognise, understand and work with that,” she advised.

“My best results have been when people feel that they can freely come, close my office door and talk to me and it stays between the both of us. This has been one of my guiding tools throughout my period here and even before and it has impacted how I treated with different situations,” she said.

The veteran public servant also advocates for the mentorship of junior staff and anyone who seems to need it.

“It’s about empathising and letting them know that someone cares about what is happening with them,” she said of her ‘people-first’ approach to leadership.

Veira also had gems for her successor.

“I am taking my integrity in my handbag with me [as I leave]. Never compromise your integrity because there is no gain that can be more important than having your integrity, “she said.

She also advised being focused on the people who are, ultimately, the purpose of the job.    

“As a public servant, we work for ‘one P’ and that is the people! No colour, or code. Whoever the people put, is who you are required to work honestly along with. No matter your belief, you are being paid to work with the people’s choice,”  she said, referencing the politically elected leadership of the ministry within which the JBDC falls.

Strategic planning and being innovative is also high on Veira’s list of lessons.

“You cannot meander and expect to have any winnings. Proper planning is key.”

Also: “Be persistent and passionate about it…because there are many rivers to cross and people will not come on board if you cannot show that you really believe in what you are doing,” she said.

 After serving in a post for 23 years, there are bound to be some things that you will miss. For Auntie V, as she is affectionately called, she will mostly miss the day-to-day “direct interaction with the SME sector.”

She has, however, already found a remedy for her longing and will be offering her talents and service “from the angle of advocacy.”

“I have been inside. I know what’s there and I know what can be there and what should be there. I am not giving up the support and the innovative ideas, it’s just that it will be from a different channel,” she said.

So, maybe she hasn’t really retired. For, as she puts it: “I am not retired. I am re-treading my tyre."