Bianca Richards, head of retail operations at Australian athleisure wear brand LSKD, is described by her team as a “retail powerhouse” and the “silent achiever behind the beast that has become LSKD retail.”

Richards has a reputation for executing seamless store openings and leading by listening and fostering an environment that encourages healthy conflict.

Inside Retail spoke with Richards about how she’s developed her leadership style, the “spirit” she seeks in leaders and how a daily commitment can best position a business for extraordinary scalable success.

Inside Retail: What are you most proud of leading your team?

Bianca Richards: Undoubtedly it would be the unwavering passion to progressively roll out our retail strategy for stores over the last 2.5 years.

The LSKD team would have opened 17 stores by December this year across America, Australia and New Zealand, and that in itself has been one incredible honourable rally of success.

Every team member that has joined along this journey to bring LSKD to new communities has made a remarkable impact in the business and we are just getting started.

IR: Leadership – what’s your approach and how would you define your style?

BR: It’s such an interesting exercise when you attempt to reflect on what your leadership style is, the only way I can define it is – I am me.

I lead with transparency, honesty, pace and an unwavering tenacity to get it done.

I have high expectations of myself and the team around me and I require them to bring their best authentic selves into the arena every day.

I’m a big believer in freedom within the framework and having the ability to hold space for each team member, it allows them to stand in their true self where they feel safe to innovate, bring ideas to the table and lead with passion.

Being a part of that journey of development is incredibly rewarding and I’ve always naturally gravitated towards it.

IR: How did you develop this?

BR: Full immersion was the key for me – I’ve worked every role from the retail floor up to my current one today, so I intrinsically know the detail and capacity of every level in the retail pillar and what’s possible when coaching the team and challenging them to reach higher goals, we need to find comfort in the uncomfortable – that’s where the growth zone is.

IR: How would you describe the culture at LSKD, and as a leader how do you contribute to fostering this?

BR: Culture is such an expansive pillar of any business and I think it comes down to an art of accountability.

It holds so much merit in how we feel, the decisions we make and the way it influences our space, and is often at times the reason we leave or join a company.

There’s a wonderful quote by Rumi that really resonates with me when I reflect on how I lead and influence culture within my role.

“You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a drop”.

It’s a profound reminder that we are all connected and we all have the power to make a difference, and with that deep level of interconnectedness comes a responsibility of contribution.

Culture is every person in the business requiring a daily commitment to lean in and show up for ourselves and others; it’s to step outside our minds and see the bigger picture of the team.

I know that when in alignment with this we hire the right team which contributes to the success of scaling extraordinary culture.

IR: What advice would you give to emerging leaders who aspire to reach the C-suite level in their careers?

BR: Wow! There are some many amazing tips – where to start?

Take a role that is at 80 per cent of your skill capacity, the last 20 per cent is going to push you into the growth zone – it sets a 10 per cent cadence for you to dig in and self-elevate; the other 10 per cent cadence is for you to be mentored by your leader.

Secondly, create a manifesto – these are your commitments to yourself, for in celebration and when you are met with resistance.

Here are a few manifestos I rely on:

1. The only limits you will be met with are the ones you put on yourself.

2. Lead ego-free and with integrity.

3. Get curious.

4. Say yes to any opportunity to develop.

And lastly, enjoy the journey.

At one point in your life you went to bed every night dreaming of the role you are in today; be tenacious about tomorrow but don’t forget to be grounded in today.

IR: What key leadership lessons have you collected throughout your career?

BR: I’ve learnt to talk less, and listen more.

That wasn’t always the way for me when I was in the earlier stages of my career, it’s hard to not dominate a conversation when you’re passionate about a topic.

As I’ve grown into my roles I’ve learnt that great leaders know when to ‘hold court’, they observe and listen more to their team so there is space for inclusivity and different perspectives.

You want to create a space of healthy conflict through diverse teams that feel comfortable to challenge the norm – it fosters innovation and advances your business.

This one is really special and will create a magical ripple effect. Let your team teach you something. You’ve hired greatness, let them be great at what they do and hope they teach you something along the way. You really can’t underestimate the power of letting your people shine, it’s the biggest value add to any business.

IR: What do you believe are the most important qualities someone in a leadership role can embody in today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving market?

BR: Funnily enough, it’s not a ‘skill’ I look for first, it’s a ‘spirit’.

It’s a willingness to get curious.

Leadership is not just a position it’s a privilege, when you have the ability to direct, shape, and unlock people’s potential you have to approach that with a sense of curiosity.

Then it’s passion over perfection. Passion for me unlocks humility, enthusiasm, and dedication to elevate beyond mediocre; in its adjacent form, you have perfection which can often at times lead to paralysed possibility and a missed opportunity to fail forward.

This article is part of Inside Retail’s #IRWD365 campaign, in partnership with Airwallex, to shine a spotlight on inspiring women in Australia’s retail industry and drive tangible change towards gender equality.