the power of creative leadership: how do great leaders push through adversity?
TRANSCRIPT
Joan Robinson-Berry, Vice President
SSG Supplier Management
THE POWER OF CREATIVE LEADERSHIP:
HOW DO GREAT LEADERS PUSH THROUGH ADVERSITY?
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Discussion Topics
• Strategies that allow leaders to navigate successfully
under pressure
• Strategies to address weaknesses when under pressure
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Adversity as Opportunity
Providing leadership during adverse times may
be a leader’s greatest challenge and greatest
opportunity to do something really significant.
Why?
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Adversity Provides…
• A catalyst for change…
• The urgency necessary for teams to perceive the need
for something big and significantly different.
• A reason for leaders to matter like never before.
• A very personal leadership test.
Big Things are on the Line During
Times of Adversity
Layoffs
Career Hopes
Reputation
Family Expectations Self Confidence
Ego
Goals/Expectations
Sense of Identity
Valued Relationships
Your Network
Shared Dreams
Key Friendships
Product Identity
Employee JobsPersonal Convictions
Broken Relationships
Values
Lost Revenue
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Adversity as Possibility
Adversity = Change
New…Roles…Frontiers…Patterns…Relationships…Directions…Leadership…Networks…Products…Horizons
=
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Leadership Matters Most During
Adversity
Attention To
Self
AttentionTo
Others
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Leadership Matters Most During
Adversity
Attention To
Self
AttentionTo
Others
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Attending to Others
• What you lose
– Eyes off the goal
– What is it I want?
– Loss of courage
– Loss of conviction
– Loss of integrity
• What others see
– Gossip
– Triangulation
– Peace-mongering
– Passive aggressive
– Bitterness
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The Potential Impact of Adversity
AttentionTo
Others
Attention To
Self
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Attending to Self
• What you do
– Get tough
– Autocratic
– Get blinded
– Selfish
• What others see
– Don’t care
– Out of touch
– Can’t listen
– New data is
irrelevant
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The Potential Impact of Adversity
Attention To
Self
AttentionTo
Others
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Key Question
• When you are leading others in times of adversity,
what allows you to…
– maintain relationships with your key stakeholders;
– keep your eyes focused on your own convictions;
– and avoid the pressure from others to either to make
them feel better or to get tough?
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The Differentiated Leader
OTHERSSELF
Mindset For Change: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
Shift Happens
o St. Louis - direct culture
o Production/product
focused
o Domestic team only
o Tenured workforce
o High morale
o Stable
o Business unit
o SM integrated on
programs
o Functional support
o Regulatory issues
o $2 Billion cost reductions
o Functional excellence focus
o Major business unit changes
o “More for Less” environment
Old Job New Job Other Changes
o Seattle - indirect, relationship culture
o Non-production
o International team
o 50-pecent new team
o Morale and performance challenges
o Elevated attrition rate
o Corporate and centralized
o Business-partner focused
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My Lessons• What Worked
– Having a vision
– People-first alignment
– Not taking things personally
– Understanding the culture
– Listening/ personal
accountability
– Engagement
– Assessment
– Bring in help
– Prioritize
– Courage
• What Didn’t Work
– My style
– Moving too fast
– Trusting but not verifying
– Hanging on to past success
– Being out of balance
• Emotionally
• Spiritually
• Physically
• Intellectually
EO&T CEO Functional Review | 16Leading change requires courage and emotional resilience
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The Differentiation Impact
Differentiation Provideschoice
Reduces reactivity
Changes focus
Increasesclarity
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“Am I being the kind of person I want to be?”
When you’re going through hell... Keep going
Last year I would have tied my purpose to what I do.
Now I ask myself,
Final Thoughts
Winston Churchill