Women’s History Month Interview with Noha Galal

I think there are 5 things that make a great leader. First, they have to have the character. They have to be a visionary. They have to be committed to a goal. Then, they have to be committed to being a leader so they have to want to be a leader and to coach others and mentor others. Then, they have to lead with courage and have the resiliency and the tenacity that will help them get over the setbacks and move toward the goal they want to move themselves and the team toward. But then comes the difficult combination of being compassionate and having empathy toward others, putting themselves in others’ shoes, seeking to understand before being understood, and building the culture of trust that inspires others to put their best performance forward. And lastly, for someone to be a good leader, they have to have the desire to serve others and a servant leader mindset.

That’s a difficult question because there are so many great women out there and inspirational women who have left a great impact on the world and my life personally. Look at Malala Yousafzai out in Pakistan and all of the great work she’s doing to advocate for women and girls’ education. Look at what RBG has done regarding gender equality. It’s not fair to name a few because the list goes on and on and on. But on a personal level as well, I have met a lot inspirational women who are mentors for me in my career that have helped me progress my career in the right direction, mentored me, and left a positive impact on me.

I believe it’s very important for an organization’s purpose and value to align with my own purpose and value, and Sandy Spring was the right match there. Sandy Spring prides itself on not being transactional or focusing on the deal but rather building long term interactions that benefit the community, the employees, and the clients, and that just aligns with my personal values. That’s why you have clients here that started with the bank decades ago, and even though they’ve grown exponentially, they still consider Sandy Spring as their main financial partner. You have employees who started here and will retire here so it’s a very unique culture that comes from top of the house, a very approachable executive leadership, which makes it very unique and attractive for me.

I wish that I knew it is okay to be impatient and that you don’t just have to wait for life to happen. You have to create the future you want to have and along with that comes the courage, the resiliency, and realism of realizing that when one door closes, it’s okay to make a U-turn and find another door or another path that will take you faster to your goal.

Sandy Spring Bank partners with a number of organizations that we volunteer through whether for financial literacy or affordable housing so I volunteer my time with organizations like Junior Achievement and Habitat for Humanity. I also sit on the board for some local organizations. I also have a number of personal organizations that raise money for cancer research that I personally associate with and volunteer my time fundraising for.

I hope I can inspire the next generation of young women leaders and help them advance their careers the same way that I was helped when I was much younger. I just hope that whatever I contribute toward the community or toward the workplace (and how I contribute) leaves a happier culture and a better morale. That I’m remembered for being a progress maker and an agent of change and leave those around me feeling supported and cared for.