Dovilė Endriukaitytė
Head of Data and Reporting Services, Business Development
How to Grow, Inspire Your Team, and Strengthen Trust
Dovilė Endriukaitytė, Head of Data and Reporting Services Business Development at SEB group, has been with the company for 11 years. She shares how SEB’s people-focused culture helps foster growth, while open communication and trust encourage long-term relationships within the team. Dovilė believes that a strong leader not only solves problems but also gives employees the freedom to grow, strengthens psychological safety, and helps the team feel united.
What motivates you to keep growing and developing within this organization?
Over my 11 years at SEB, I’ve noticed that change and new opportunities always appeared when I needed them the most. The culture at SEB is what inspires me – here, I feel that my professional growth is valued, and I’m given a safe environment where I can openly talk with colleagues, share my opinions, and express my thoughts. When you feel support and trust in the organization, you naturally want to stay longer and build things together.
When I joined SEB, my current area – Data and Reporting Services – was still taking shape. I had the opportunity to grow alongside this area. I’m glad that my path to a leadership position was gradual, step by step, because over time, I gained a lot of experience that allows me to make better decisions and understand the organization’s needs.
What do you think is most important for improving at work and finding new opportunities?
I believe self-reflection is very important – the ability to know yourself, understand where you need to improve, and be open to feedback from others. Often, feedback from colleagues helps reveal things you might not notice yourself. I also really value the importance of relationships – when you know more colleagues, it’s easier to find help or the right direction. Taking on additional responsibilities at work is also a great way to grow. Sometimes, these tasks may initially feel like an added burden, but over time, you realize they are an investment – you become more visible, build useful connections, and gain more experience.
Why are relationships with colleagues important to you?
When I think about what motivates me most at work, two important things come to mind – solving tasks and building relationships with people. At SEB, I’ve found colleagues I can trust completely and who I can talk openly with, not only about work but also personal matters. These conversations help me return to the team calmer, more focused, and ready to tackle important work-related issues.
I think a leader shouldn’t be a robot. However, they also shouldn’t add extra stress to the team – if the leader feels lost, it can affect the whole team. The most important thing is to create psychological safety, so everyone feels comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions. Trust between a leader and the team is the foundation that allows the team to work effectively.
What qualities do you think are necessary to be a good leader?
I think I have the ability to bring a team together, and I’ve often heard feedback from colleagues that I work well with people. I am convinced that almost every problem has a solution – you just have to find it. A leader needs to invest a lot in their team members’ perspectives – to help them understand why certain decisions are made in the company and show the benefits these decisions will bring to the team and the organization. SEB’s leadership training, which focuses a lot on self-reflection, mindset, and practice, has also been very helpful to me on this journey. It’s also important not to forget that a leader should not overly protect their employees – they need to be given the freedom and space to grow. If an employee and the organization have different goals, sometimes that means the person will find a better fit in another company where they will be happier. And that’s okay.
How do you manage to maintain a work-life balance?
Finding this balance isn’t always easy. As a leader, you’re not just doing tasks, but also listening to each employee and understanding their needs. The first years in this position were challenging for me. But over time, I’ve learned to better separate work and rest. It’s very important to trust your team and give them autonomy. I’ve noticed that employees often handle things well when they are given more responsibility. I appreciate SEB for not requiring leaders to “micro-manage” – employees have the space to make independent decisions.
How do you strengthen relationships within your team?
The most important thing is trust, and it only develops over time. That’s why I put a lot of effort into having sincere conversations with team members – I try to find out what motivates them and how they would like to strengthen relationships with colleagues. It’s also important not just to ask, but to listen.
Every team is unique, so there’s no one-size-fits-all recipe for strengthening relationships. You need to understand the needs of your team and build relationships naturally. A leader’s job is to create an environment where everyone feels safe, can openly express their opinions, and isn’t afraid to acknowledge if something in the organization or team isn’t working for them. When employees feel they can trust their leader, it creates a solid foundation for the success of the entire team.
