Learning to lead at Cardinal
Getting good support from your team, challenging yourself, wanting to learn, and better yourself every day.
These are the key things that have helped Aleni Sofara succeed in his working life. He works for Cardinal in the loading department and has recently been promoted to Supervisor.
He started this role late last year and is enjoying the responsibility and working in the leadership space. Aleni told us that he enjoys working for Cardinal as it is a family-orientated place that has a community feel. He also said “I get to be myself” which is why he values his workplace so highly.
Aleni’s mum is his biggest role model. Growing up he watched her work two jobs and from this, he learned that having a strong work ethic was important. He said that his mum always provided for him and his siblings, and this is something that stuck with him. Now that he has a family of his own, he makes sure he provides for them.
This work ethic was evident to us too. Aleni graduated from our ‘Emerging Leaders’ programme last year and took the learning straight into his work. This was noticed by his team who commented on his hard-working attitude and dedication to his role. They commended his helpfulness, always ensuring customer products are delivered on time.
When asked about his learning journey. he said,
“I’m really grateful and thankful to have had the opportunity to learn more and to learn to lead, and be part of this journey with Upskills and Cardinal.”
When asked what advice he would give others in moving into leadership roles in the workplace, Aleni recommended having a can-do attitude, being consistent, and having a purpose as the key attributes. He reflected that if you had these things, everything else would come naturally.
