Kay has a background in Banking, Finance and Insurance. She had a meteoric rise early in her career before.
She learned that pulling the people around her and using the collective team to help solve problems. She has worked in large, ambitious organisations.
Eventually, she wanted to just work with people, teams and leaders so that they get excellent outcomes.
Success is transitioned from the determined by the things done to success being determined by the way one behaves. Being a human that impacts others is much more challenging. The pandemic situation is having an impact on this. The way we behave has an impact. Once leaders recognise that the way they behave has an impact – positive and negative.
Leadership is a conscious thing. Kay calls it the Ripple – the effect on people around her. How am I feeling and how does it affect others. The things a leader says and does have a lasting effect on people around them. Rushing an agenda or taking the time to listen and address critical issues have very different outcomes. A leader’s time can impact team members formally is not as great as in an informal environment.
The leadership role has changed in recent times from “checking up” to “checking in”. The checking in is more conscious than the checking up. It is replacing the water cooler chats or the casual lunch discussions and taking a genuine interest in people instead of just seeing them as just a company resource. Leaders can choose to be genuine and empathetic.
In summary, leaders need to consider:
· Focus more on the people rather than the role
· Choose a caring role rather than a judgemental role.
· In an environment of greater empathy and trust, people are more likely to speak up.
· Consider the Ripple and create an environment of cultural safety.
· Take the time to acknowledge positive developments.
“Change it up: Go for a walk around the block with key staff members.”
Leading a virtual team and a hybrid work environment needs more precise definitions of work done together and how the contribution is valued. Leaders need skills development, including being uncomfortable with discomfort, not being in control all the time—much more facilitation and checking that everyone is coming along together. Slow, deliberate thinking is preferred.