Kate Lee
CEO, Alzheimers UK
Case Study
How would you like to be described?
Someone once called me a battery – bringing positive energy to the people I work with, I thought that was really flattering.
How would you describe what you do?
Chief Executive of a large UK Charity supporting people with Dementia. I have to do everything from lobbying government to supporting fundraising, planning out the strategy for our services and working to motivate and support our amazing volunteers and staff.
What is your greatest achievement?
I am quite proud of my career and balancing that with being a working mum!
The teams I have lead have achieved so many brilliant things over the years it is hard to pick one.
Each of the 3 organisations I have taken over as CEO have needed financial ‘turn arounds’, so have been struggling to manage their costs when I arrived. So far I have managed to improve that situation and grow the organisation each time to reach more people in need.
What was the cause or ’trigger for this journey of making the world a better place through being useful and kind? And how old were you? When did you realise you could make a difference?
I didn’t realise that I wanted to work in the Charity Sector until the end of my Public Sector Administration degree. I was encouraged by a University Professor at 20 to consider charities as an alternative to the Public Sector after I had done a working placement year in the NHS and not really enjoyed it. I was encouraged to look at charities as part of my final year’s studies. The thought I can make a difference has grown on me over the years. My work in charities has helped me realise I am very privileged, that I have a duty to use that privilege to help others. Even as a CEO I feel like just a very tiny cog in a big machine but that is ok – I do my bit.
Was it something your parents are/would have been proud of and encouraged?
I don’t remember my parents being particularly interested in charities, they certainly didn’t shape my career that way. I think they just wanted me to be happy and see where life took me! My parents did instil in me the importance of working hard and being independent.
Who or what were your early influences?
My sisters were a lot older than me so I grew up pretty much like an only child. My parents worked long hours so I spent a lot of time on my own and found lots of ways to fill my time. I think this has made me very creative, I’ve got a good imagination! I also spent time with other peoples’ families and learnt very quickly how to fit in well to other peoples’ plans and routines, again I think this made me quite comfortable with change and fitting in quickly. Never underestimate how the lessons you ‘learn’ as a child shape you as a leader. Things you experience that might seem difficult as a child or young person can be shaped, with help, to make you more resilient as an adult.
What were you doing at 16?
Along side doing my GCSE’s, I worked in a clothes shop in York at a weekend and joined the Sea Cadets for a while, where I made some new friends. By 17 I was just partying and going a bit off the rails...
What advice would you give your 16 year old self?
Both good and bad experiences can shape you in a positive way. I look back on some things I dealt with in my later teens, including some significant mental health problems, and am amazed how well I coped with very little support. I didn’t really like myself very much at 17/18, I lacked confidence and direction – I felt like everyone else was doing so much better than me. I got very poor A Level results and felt I’d let everyone down. I wish I’d known then that failing my A levels would help me come to terms with failing early on in my life and make me less scared about getting things wrong, it has made me entrepreneurial.
What advice would you give to other young people?
You just don’t know how things will turn out. You can be a mess at 17 and CEO of a major national charity 30 years later. You can fail your A levels and get a distinction in your Masters Degree. Some days just get through the day, other days plan for the future – balance is everything.
What has been the most difficult challenge on the way and how did you overcome it?
I have had challenges at work and in my personal life over the years but if I was honest, my late teen years were probably some of my hardest. Trust some people to talk honestly about how you feel, it doesn’t have to be a friend it could be a teacher, people at work, family friend. Just know all things pass eventually. The challenges I feel I have handled best are those that I put my whole self into sorting out or just accepted I couldn’t change it, don’t just avoid challenging situations – they rarely resolve themselves.
What do you think are the changes we need to see in the world and how can being U&K help solve those things?
I feel things in the World are becoming very polarised – you are either for something or against it. I don’t think that is helpful, I think we should all say “I don’t really understand this, or why you feel that way, can you tell me more about it?” more often. I think if we can just try to be kinder, more understanding of others, it would be a great starting place for resolving more problems. We must combine that kindness with action – the being useful – otherwise we are all just being bystanders. You don’t need to always take big actions – just take some action.
How are you useful and kind to yourself - what helps and hinders?
A very wonderful colleague a few years ago taught me the concept of “being kind to my future self”. This is about doing those annoying jobs that your future self will be grateful you didn’t put off, it can range and from loading the dishwasher before bed to having a very difficult conversation with someone early. I try not to be to tough on myself, I ask myself “Are you a good person? Are you trying your best?” when I can answer yes – I give myself a break. What hinders this is my ‘inner saboteur” (for the Rupaul Drag Race Fans!), a demon that sits in my head and constantly tells me I’m not good enough, Rupaul has taught me to say “thanks for your contribution – you can leave now!”.
How are you both useful and kind to others (the easy ones and those who are more difficult to be U&K to)?
I have a strong sense of fairness and justice which means I try to be an ally and be useful and kind to those that need help, I’ve made it my whole career. I remind myself that I rarely know what is going on in someone’s world that makes them unkind or unhelpful – it helps me deal with difficult people. (There are days when I AM that person!)
What is your biggest challenge in the future?
I have just taken on a new job, at Alzheimer’s Society. Covid-19 means we have lost a huge amount of our fundraised income (£40m) which means we will need to cut some services and make staff redundant. This is an awful thing to do – not just challenging but profoundly sad. Keeping staff and volunteers morale up through these awful times will be challenging but vital work – I’ll just try to be useful and kind!
What do you wish you had done differently?
Nothing. That sounds really big headed but even the things that have gone wrong I have learnt from and grown. I wish I had had more time with my sister before she died or with my Mum before she got dementia but I can’t change that so I don’t spend anytime wishing. I just think ‘how can I act today so that I don’t regret it going forward?’ I’ve learnt from those experiences and now I do make time for family and friends.