Susanette Mansour

Susanette Mansour works at Croydon Vision, and she’s known as a Catalyst for Transformation. The organisation works with people with sight loss; laser focused to transform lives, from dependant to living independently.

Tell us about your journey with Pilotlight.

I first heard of Pilotlight from a colleague. He recommended I join the Ignite Initiative to add value from a voluntary sector perspective.

Why did you become a Pilotlighter?

I have a growth mindset and transforming lives is my core, my purpose. Being around like-minded people of growth can compound my learning and the Pilotlight 360 programme surpassed my expectations. The programme is designed for an all-round win (*3) approach.
 

What has been your biggest challenge?

Finding our feet. With time, the meetings progressed, and we laser focused on specific long-term planning whilst developing core activities.

What’s surprised you most?

The passion and tenacity within the organisation, especially the CEO. His ability to unlearn and learn new perspectives. The depth of work and commitment by the team at Pilotlight and most importantly, my fellow Pilotlighters' desire to change lives – I wanted to give more.
 

What’s your proudest moment?

A meeting we had in the middle of the programme. It was a healthy but tough conversation with the CEO and the Pilotlighter team. We fed back and shared our observations on the importance to reflect, think, and then develop – all key attributes for a CEO.

It was a light bulb moment for the charity leader, the ground had been tilled and the feedback was received really well – the rest of the meetings became super productive.

Key learnings for me where: first connect, develop relationships, and then have tough conversations with a clear end goal in mind.

Tell us about the impact Pilotlight has had on you, both personally and professionally.

I’ve met some great individuals. I’ve boosted my coaching skills and applied learnings into our organisation. I have a lot of admiration for organisations like Pilotlight – making real difference top down.
 

Is there anything you wished you'd known as a first time Pilotlighter?

I was fortunate to gain real insights from my colleagues and therefore, the process was familiar.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a Pilotlighter via the Ignite Initiative?

Have a hedgehog mindset rather than a fox approach:

• Ask lots of questions instead of delving straight in
• Confront the brutal facts of reality whilst maintaining unwavering faith
• Enjoy the process and have fun - iron sharpens iron.

Describe being a Pilotlighter in three words.

Purposeful, growing, inclusive