Impact Wealth spoke to Morpheus Space’s Chief of Staff, Gabrielle Diemand about how to ensure your leadership is authentic, empowering, and successful. In her role at Morpheus, Gabrielle manages communication between the teams in the United States and Europe. She navigates a dynamic space as the company deploys its electric propulsion and mission-planning technology for high-stakes satellite missions. Women have been at the forefront of the space industry since its beginning. Today, the increase in private investment has led to a “New Space” economy, one where women have more opportunities than ever before. From the “Rocket Girls” of JPL to industry leaders like Gwynne Shotwell to the women in every facet of the industry, the space economy would not be what it is without the contributions of empowered, intelligent, and inspiring women.
As with other industries, the New Space economy comes with challenges – people must be nimble, intelligent, and emotionally in touch with themselves and others to thrive, achieve, and lead.
In today’s rapidly evolving space industry, where private investment and innovation are driving a new era of exploration and technology, leadership plays a critical role in guiding teams through both challenges and opportunities. Drawing on her experiences, Gabrielle shares valuable insights on fostering leadership that not only drives results but also inspires and uplifts those around her.
1. Find Your Own Orbit
Every star follows its own unique path in the cosmos, just as each leader carves out their distinct space within a team. Leadership isn’t a performance; it’s about continually realigning and refining your approach as new insights and perspectives come to light. Flexibility is key—being rigid won’t help you navigate the ever-changing universe of ideas.
Focus on your own unique strengths. Some leaders are hands-on, guiding their teams with direct involvement, while others foster effective communication. Others inspire those around them to act.
I tend to take a servant leadership approach in most of my interactions within the team. If a deadline is communicated, my first question is, “do you have the resources you need to complete the task?” Create an environment for success; empower the team to make decisions; and align your expectations.
Take time to reflect on what makes your leadership style unique and learn to harness that as your guiding star.
2. Boost Your Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is essential for inspiring and effective leadership. By understanding your team’s personality types and motivations, you can ignite passion and uplift morale, even when challenges arise. Take the time to learn about your team members’ strengths, show that you support their growth, and position them for success.
When faced with obstacles, taking a moment to pause or asking for time to gather information can lead to more thoughtful, impactful decisions. Rather than rushing to conclusions, use these moments to explore and discover.
From my point of view, learning experiences are not mistakes—they are vital milestones in the journey. Being vulnerable, honest, and open when new perspectives emerge fosters trust and creates a safe space for your team to navigate the unknown. Mistakes can only be called mistakes if you continue to repeat them or don’t learn and grow from the lessons they can impart.
Trusting yourself, taking chances, and creating spaces of self-reflection are also key. Embrace the possibility of failure as a steppingstone to success. You can do more than you often give yourself credit for.
3. Launch Collaboration, Not Competition
While competition among businesses is necessary, fostering collaboration within your team is essential for success. Valuing diverse perspectives and maintaining good team chemistry leads to better outcomes. Team members thrive when they feel supported by one another, helping to minimize burnout—this is especially crucial during high-stakes missions.
Foster an environment where all team members feel empowered to voice their ideas and insights. Creating an environment where team members can express their ideas and insights could potentially save the team from critical errors, delays in deliveries, or miscommunications with customers.
Also, pay attention to the quieter voices in the room and actively invite their contributions. They tend to have a lot of valuable input but sometimes need encouragement to participate.
4. Use Mentors and Allies to Chart Your Course
Powerful women exist everywhere. You don’t have to look far to run into one.
Reach out and tap into the expertise of successful women, not only in the space industry but any industry. Living in LA, I have had the benefit of having very powerful, intelligent women in my circle. Their experiences in the entertainment industry, in healthcare, in higher education, have informed my ability to navigate my own work experiences as well as to provide mentorship to colleagues.
A mentor once said, “As you ascend the ladder, remember to extend a hand back.” Supporting those who are just beginning their careers can significantly influence not only their future but also the futures of many others.
Build a strong, diverse network of allies who are more intelligent, more successful, more creative, more compassionate, more powerful because this will always lead you in the direction of more personal growth.
5. Maintain Your Balance
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance and prioritizing self-care are essential for you and your team to sustain high performance. Encourage your team to spend time with family and friends, take vacations, or simply enjoy a day of rest. Everyone needs time to recharge to perform at their best.
Lead by example: communicate healthy boundaries, make sure you allocate time for yourself, and practice self-care so your team can see what a healthy work-life balance looks like.
