My style evolved as my Leadership roles grew. When I first begin, I was just trying to get people to get the job done for me. I was willing to work alongside my team, but I didn’t quite have the skills to inspire, encourage and course correct with grace. I was basically a “supervising manager.” As my experience grew, I realized that more valuable than proving you would “put in the work”, was to model a behavior and work ethic that inspired your team to follow you. Once I had that realization, my style matured. I began seeing my leadership style as crucial to the success of my team members; in their desire to work “for the mission and for themselves” rather than just at “my direction.”

I have become a better communicator and collaborator. Learning how to actively listen and respond thoughtfully and with empathy has allowed me to build more trust and create better outcomes. It is all about asking questions, listening and empowering others to step into their greatness.

In my leadership role, I’ve come to recognize a profound responsibility: cultivating an environment where my team can evolve into the best version of themselves, confront challenges, rebound from failure, and persist in their career. Creating this growth-centric atmosphere enables individuals to find fulfillment in their careers, contributing to a richer, more satisfying life. My purpose is to offer unwavering support and guidance, empowering individuals to discover who they are truly meant to become. Ultimately, I’m here to serve them in their journey of self-discovery and growth.

I’d say that in the last decade plus of running my own business I’ve had to “unlearn” the corporate leadership style that kept me from even wanting to build a team in the early years of my company. I believe that leadership that prioritizes collaboration and empowerment, values inclusivity, innovation, and the cultivation of individual strengths is the kind that has created an enviable team in our company. By championing a leadership style that recognizes and values the unique contributions of each team member, we’ve fostered an environment where innovation flourishes, ultimately driving the success and growth of our organization.

Over the years, my leadership style has evolved to become very values-driven. In business, and in life, my values are excellence, openness, and a requirement to evolve. I believe knowing exactly what my values are and living by them to the best of my ability, contributes to the success of my organizations.

During an overwhelming Black Friday at our fulfillment warehouse, an unexpected surge in orders tested our limits. However, our team rallied together, rearranging shifts and collaborating across departments seamlessly. Despite immense pressure, everyone went above and beyond, working extra hours and maintaining a positive attitude. Through this collective effort, we not only met but surpassed our targets, showcasing the incredible power of teamwork during demanding periods.

When assembling a team, one of the first things you do is find the individuals with the skill sets needed to deliver your service or service. In doing so, I faced a challenge where the personalities and work styles of the members clashed. I recognized then that effective team management, such as patience but also uniting with agreed-upon organizational values, would be essential to harness personality and work style diversity to achieve organizational goals.

We had some processes that were not working well. By talking with the team and brainstorming together, we were able to “break” the current model and rebuild one that work more efficiently and everyone felt a part of the process. It allowed us to step back, examine the process and be collaborative.

While working in Houston after a hurricane, we had to keep the business going, without power, internet, or any systems. Once together, rather than panic and race around, we talked about how we “used to do things” when we were just a small company without all the sophisticated resources we could afford today. We recalled how things got done and the entire team contributed to what they felt they could do to overcome the obstacles. It was such a pure moment in time where everyone came together. My role was to encourage the conversation, ask pressing questions and to celebrate the outcome. We never missed a beat and the product was ready to ship on time and as intended.

To foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability within your teams, I use digital tools such as Microsoft Teams and Monday.com. I also set (high) standards and do my best to lead by example. We celebrate achievements as often as we can!

It all starts with me. As a leader, I need to model the behavior I want to foster. So, I need to ask for feedback and also listen and adapt, I need to work collaboratively and act in accordance with the standards that have been set. As the leader, one needs to own the responsibility of leading and clarifying the path to success.

First of all, encouragement must be sincere. If someone is not doing a great job, false praise done in a way that masks frustration will never be believed and in the worst case scenario, used as justification that the standard of work is fine – but the leadership is lacking.

To cultivate an exceptional culture, we prioritize fostering a growth mindset aligned with our core values. These values serve as our team’s guiding principles. We champion autonomy, individuality, accountability, and hard work. Egos are set aside, embodying our core value “carry the groceries”, there is a spirit of teamwork where everyone shares the responsibilities and works together cohesively.

Leadership and management are two entirely different things in my opinion. Management is all about getting tasks completed, on time and under budget. Management prioritizes productivity over loyalty and workplace satisfaction. Leadership is all about encouraging a team to work in a way that they are pulling together against any odds to make the company successful.

Communication is the key. With many working remote, it is imperative to have true connections. A leader needs to make time to have real conversations with the team members. In addition, there should be company events to build community. Results start with trust, trust begins with relationships; leaders need to build relationships. When a leader supports the team, the team will take care of the bottom line.

Leaders and managers encounter a critical juncture where accountability and hard work are paramount, yet they contend with a workforce that might not fully grasp the significance of being held accountable, wanting fulltime pay for parttime work. Additionally, in today’s tech-driven landscape, there’s a prevailing sense of isolation and compartmentalization among individuals. Overcoming these challenges demands leaders to foster a vision that connects the team toward a collective objective while simultaneously enabling each member to grow and advance individually. It necessitates striking a delicate balance between nurturing collaboration and providing space for personal development and progression.

Aligning organizational goals with team management can be challenging, and ongoing. We are talking about human beings, after all. As a leader, it’s necessary to be able to adapt your leadership according to the situation and sometimes, the team or person(s) within the team.