273: Lead with Confidence: Building Teams That Don't Need You – with Sandy Motley

Can your team thrive without you in the room? And what does it really take to lead with confidence in a male-dominated industry?

In this episode, I sit down with Sandy Motley, Senior VP at Nokia and former President of Fixed Networks, to talk about what it means to lead a high-performing team without overfunctioning—and how to build trust, autonomy, and strategic impact into your leadership style.

We explore:

⏹ How to build a team that doesn't need you to function

⏹ What executive leadership looks like beyond control and perfectionism

⏹ Why inclusive leadership drives innovation in engineering and telecom

⏹ How to coach your team through conflict instead of fixing everything yourself

⏹ What it means to lead with confidence in male-dominated spaces

⏹ The mindset shift that takes you from tactical manager to strategic exec

Whether you're a VP, a senior IC, or growing into a more strategic leadership role—this episode will challenge how you think about value, visibility, and voice.

📌 Want to step into your executive leadership without burning out? 💡 Explore coaching and resources at: https://www.tonicollis.com

**Useful links**

Connect with today's guest and sponsor, Sandy Motley from Nokia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-motley-b116659/

This episode was sponsored by our guest, Sandy Motley from Nokia. Thank you Sandy & Nokia for helping to bring Leading Women in Tech to this community!