{"id":18089,"date":"2026-04-16T12:47:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T12:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.chubbfs.com\/uk-en\/?p=18089"},"modified":"2026-04-17T12:15:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T12:15:02","slug":"inspiring-leaders-my-journey-of-growth-resilience-and-finding-my-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chubbfs.com\/uk-en\/inspiring-leaders-my-journey-of-growth-resilience-and-finding-my-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Inspiring Leaders: My Journey of Growth, Resilience and Finding My Path\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our latest instalment of the\u202fInspiring\u202fLeaders\u202fseries, we spoke to\u202fLynsey Eyre,\u00a0People & Culture Lead UKI. From navigating early life challenges and becoming a mum at\u00a0a young age, to building a meaningful career in HR, Lynsey shares the experiences that shaped her confidence,\u00a0values\u00a0and approach to leadership today.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every Journey Starts Somewhere<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My journey\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0been a straight line, and for a long time I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0really know where I was heading. Looking back now, though, I can clearly see how every personal challenge, unexpected change and difficult moment helped shape the person \u2014 and leader \u2014 I am today.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I grew up in Burnley and\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0never really left. My childhood was\u00a0fairly simple, but not without its difficulties. My parents separated when I was around 14, and\u00a0I faced some challenges after their separation. Experiences like that taught me resilience early on, even if I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0realise it at the time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

School was another challenge. I was very shy and quiet, and during my first year of secondary school I was badly bullied. It reached a point where my mum decided I\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0go back, and within a week she found me a place at another school. That decision completely changed everything.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The new school\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0have the best reputation, but for me it was the best thing that could have happened. The classes were smaller, the teachers were kinder, and I felt encouraged to be myself. It gave me confidence and helped me understand how I learn best \u2014 not academically, but by doing,\u00a0seeing\u00a0and talking things through.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0something\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0stayed with me ever since.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Early Career Choices and\u00a0Life<\/span><\/b>\u2011Changing\u00a0Moments<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When I left school, I had no clear idea what I wanted to do. I worked\u00a0part<\/span>\u2011time, helped look after my nephew, and eventually went to college to study beauty therapy. I enjoyed it, but even\u00a0then\u00a0I knew it\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0going to be my\u00a0long<\/span>\u2011term\u00a0career.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Around the same time, I was told I might never be able to have children. That news was\u00a0life<\/span>\u2011changing. At just 20 years old, my partner Craig and I bought and started renovating a house, thinking our future would look\u00a0very different\u00a0from what most people expect at that age.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then everything changed \u2014 I found out I was pregnant.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Becoming a mum so young was both wonderful and overwhelming. I faced health challenges throughout my pregnancy, and the lack of flexibility and support at work made things even more difficult. After maternity leave, I knew I\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0return to that environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, I did what I needed to do for my family. I worked\u00a0part<\/span>\u2011time\u00a0retail roles, late evenings, weekends \u2014 whatever fitted around childcare. It\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0easy, but it taught me determination and resilience in a way nothing else could.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Building Confidence Later Than Expected<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By the time I was approaching 30, I still\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0feel like I had a \u201ccareer.\u201d What I did have was a strong work ethic, a love for people, and a growing curiosity about leadership.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While working at Tesco, a manager believed in me before I believed in myself. She encouraged me to apply for a management training programme \u2014 and honestly, it was one of the scariest things\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0ever done. My confidence was low and\u00a0self<\/span>\u2011doubt\u00a0was high.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The application process included interviews, role plays and creating a \u201c3D CV\u201d to visually explain my journey. Against expectations \u2014 and while working\u00a0part<\/span>\u2011time\u00a0\u2014 I was the only person in my group to get onto the programme.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The year that followed pushed me completely out of my comfort zone. I learned about operations, finance,\u00a0HR\u00a0and leadership, often under pressure and with very direct feedback. There were moments when I ended up in tears \u2014 but I also learned that making mistakes\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0mean failure. It means learning.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That experience made me stronger, more\u00a0resilient\u00a0and more confident in owning my development.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Discovering My Passion for HR<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through leadership, I realised the part of the role I loved most was supporting people. HR became the area I was truly passionate about \u2014 employee relations,\u00a0wellbeing\u00a0and employee experience.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I moved into an HR administrator role in\u00a0logistics\u00a0and worked my way up through several positions, gaining experience across recruitment, employee relations, payroll, wellbeing initiatives, union work and managing the challenges of COVID in a frontline environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the role gave me valuable experience, it also tested me. Working under a difficult manager really challenged my confidence \u2014 but it also reinforced a belief I hold strongly today:\u00a0<\/span>the impact of managers and workplace culture on someone\u2019s confidence and career is huge<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the challenges, I completed my CIPD Level 3 and kept moving forward.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes You Have to Step Back to Move Forward<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wanting to broaden my experience, I moved into an HR shared services role. Although it felt like a step back on paper, it was a strategic decision. I wanted to understand HR at scale, across different systems and businesses.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When opportunities arose \u2014 often through maternity cover or organisational change \u2014 I put myself forward, even when my confidence wobbled. Each step helped me grow, gain\u00a0clarity\u00a0and build belief in myself.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those experiences eventually led me into my current role, where I work on employee experience,\u00a0rewards\u00a0and benefits \u2014 shaping moments that genuinely\u00a0impact\u00a0people at work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The People Who Shaped My Journey<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The leaders who inspired me most are the ones who believed in me and supported me at key moments, especially when life was tough.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One manager\u00a0in particular demonstrated\u00a0extraordinary strength through personal challenges while continuing to support and uplift others. Watching her made me realise that you\u00a0<\/span>can<\/span><\/i>\u00a0build a career, raise a family, face\u00a0adversity\u00a0and still show up for people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those experiences are why\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0so passionate about employee experience today.\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0seen both sides \u2014 and I know how powerful it is when leaders genuinely care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What I\u2019ve Learned Along the Way<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My journey\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0follow a traditional timeline. I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0have everything figured out in my twenties \u2014 or even my early thirties. What got me here\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0certainty or instant confidence, but persistence,\u00a0curiosity\u00a0and courage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0one thing\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0learned,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0this:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n