My leadership philosophy is based on this premise: everybody matters. I help people feel that and understand why. Employees have unique gifts and talents that should be recognized and elevated by leaders who work to ensure they leave work feeling better, not broken.
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As a servant leader, I’m a steward of those in my sphere of care. That means creating a culture where people are valued over process, humanity is valued over hierarchy and people perform their best because of commitment, not compliance.
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It starts with an intention to give everyone meaning in their work. Get to know people on an individual basis: learn their intrinsic motivators, their personal purpose and how they’re looking to grow. Discover their unique strengths, what talents they feel are being underutilized, then create opportunities for them to utilize those in service of the mission, their teammates and their growth.
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Provide an environment where ideas and input are welcomed and acted on, where people feel listened to and recognized for their efforts and empowered to make decisions. Encourage them to bring their fully human selves to work – those are our best selves.
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Lead from a place of empathy, gratitude and investment in the personal and professional growth, development and service of others. Recognize people for their superpowers and draw a meaningful connection between those, requirements of the job and the purpose of the organization. Help people find meaning in their work by showing them why it makes a difference. Recognizing their success in a way that matters to them gives people a sense of significance.
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Success starts with unlocking the hearts, minds and voices of people by giving them an inclusive and psychologically safe space to do so. Trusting and empowering others to work in ways that leverage their personal strengths allows them to see their reflection in work that moves the organization forward.
Visioning is an integral part of my leadership. Let’s ignite a sense of possibility in people. Help others see the potential in themselves they can’t see on their own. Show belief in them to do their best and coach them when they don’t. A culture of care and collaboration, instead of blame and competition makes people want to come to work, not just need to.
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Profits and results are table stakes. But I see them as an outcome of focusing on growing and coaching people to be more confident, competent and connected to their work. We need the best of people to get the best results, which makes them our most important investment. Matching people’s work to purpose allows profit to take care of itself. Best practices are nice but thinking about best possibilities for employees and organizations is a difference maker that transforms people beyond work.
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My leadership is people-first, purpose-focused and possibilities-driven. It’s responsibility, not authority. It’s about changing lives, not commanding them. I want to build people up, not break them down. We must listen, care for and invest in others...one conversation, one relationship at a time.