Jessica Abbott, you have been nominated as head of department. If elected, do you look forward to another term in this role?
Yes, I wouldn’t have accepted the nomination otherwise. Although it’s an often challenging role, I want to follow through on the changes that are currently happening or in planning at the department.
What do you personally think makes good leadership?
Being willing to accept that everyone is different, so that the things that seem simple or obvious to me are not necessarily simple or obvious to anyone else. It’s important to be able to talk to people on their own terms.
What do you see as the biggest challenges for the coming years at the department?
The financial situation is the most important challenge in my eyes, since it influences pretty much everything else – how can we recruit new staff and keep excellent existing staff, the usage of our buildings, what types of support for our staff the department is able to invest in, etc.
Do you have a vision of how the department should be like in the best of all worlds?
I think it’s hard to have a single vision, because what I see as the ideal department might not be ideal for someone else. But my hope is that I will leave a second term as head of department with the departmental finances on track and a well-functioning leadership structure in place.
What is your favourite thing that comes to your mind when you think about your work?
My favourite thing is when I can see that I’ve been able to make a difference somehow – solve a problem that someone is having, help to resolve a conflict, or just generally make a change for the better. That’s what makes it worth the effort, even though the job is challenging sometimes.
