Love to learn? 🧠 Then maybe you should learn to play. Meet Awais.
When it comes to the power of learning, we’re of one mind with the great pioneer of American public schools, Horace Mann. He saw education as the great equaliser. As a long-time educator himself, Head of US Marketing at LEGO® Education, Awais, understands the importance of what this really means today.
As someone once told me, “There are only two things you can control in life – your attitude and the effort you put in. If you focus on working hard and being a positive person, good things will tend to happen in your professional career.”
“My team and I are responsible for promoting and growing the US business for LEGO Education. The main reason I love my role is because I get to be part of bringing hands-on STEAM education to school districts across the US - and, for that matter, classrooms across the world. This plays a critical role in improving classroom engagement and preparing students for their future careers.”
“We are a team of teachers, PhDs in education, edtech enthusiasts, and more. Working here feels special because all of us share a commitment to advancing hands-on learning for students everywhere.”
Awais is clearly an enthusiastic advocate for our approach to learning. But what has this taught him personally?
“Working with so many smart people can be very humbling. It’s also a great opportunity to learn. I feel very lucky to have a team of such talented people around me. They can always be relied upon to come up with a different perspective, to see things from a different angle I may not have considered.”
“Our feedback culture is incredibly powerful too. It’s powerful because it’s designed to build up rather than tear down. One colleague commended me on a presentation I recently delivered, but they also suggested I could benefit from slowing my pace a bit. It was so politely and constructively given, and I appreciated it so much. This is the kind of thing that makes us all grow if we listen and act on it.”
“At less than 250 people, we’re a relatively small organisation. But we’re part of one of the most loved global companies. I think this has very much deepened my appreciation and respect for the importance of being a brand steward. It’s also heightened my sensitivity to cultural differences of colleagues around the globe who I work with daily.”
“What’s more, as a person of colour in a leadership position, I have an opportunity to show students that we serve, many of whom themselves are people of colour, that LEGO Education values diversity. This is clear both from the people that we hire and the schools that we work with.”
Inclusivity and respect are obviously subjects close to Awais’ heart and he speaks with passion about how this is embedded in day-to-day working practice:
“In our monthly US GTM Alignment call, we kick off every meeting with a different icebreaker question. This allows the audience to get excited and interact with each other. This sets the tone for the meeting and tells everyone that this is a safe space to speak up and share questions and creative ideas.”
Inclusivity and respect are obviously subjects close to Awais’ heart and he speaks with passion about how this is embedded in day-to-day working practice:
“In our monthly US GTM Alignment call, we kick off every meeting with a different icebreaker question. This allows the audience to get excited and interact with each other. This sets the tone for the meeting and tells everyone that this is a safe space to speak up and share questions and creative ideas.”
“Creativity comes with freedom. Everyone does their best work when they feel safe and have the flexibility to bring out their creative side. This allows us to stand out from other providers in the marketplace.”
“Ultimately, I’m proud of hiring and managing a great team that is building new marketing capabilities for our business.”
And what does he think makes this possible?
“Imagination. Without a doubt. Thinking big with no limits or boundaries. This allows us to achieve the maximum impact with the schools, students, and teachers we serve. But it’s about collaboration too.”
“Our booth setup at the annual educational conference, ISTE, was a great example of both in action. Everyone had input into this, and I was delighted to see that ours clearly excited the most attendees. It was the only one to attract educators and students, as well as the attention of some admiring competitors.”
So before we leave Awais to get back to his work, does he have any final words to share? What might someone find surprising about what you do?
“That I still roll up my sleeves and do the work I would expect my team to do? After all, we’re building something new for the business and each of us needs to wear many hats. Oh and how about this: imagine no longer having to work hard first before you play hard. Imagine your work is play. Just imagine that.”
Just imagine a career you can make your own. Then do it for real!
Join the LEGO® Education team today