?? Leadership Lessons with a Horror Twist ??

Chatting with Tanya Boyd, PMP?, PMI-ACP? , Chief Creative Officer of Inspire Creative Consulting, about leadership was like watching a classic horror flick—unexpected insights and valuable lessons at every turn. (Why the horror metaphor? Because Tanya’s passion for horror movies is matched only by her dedication to transparent, effective leadership!)

Tanya’s leadership journey began much like a character stumbling into a haunted house—completely by chance. After Hurricane Katrina, she found herself in the industry of disaster recovery, and it wasn’t until years later that she realized she’d been leading all along. A colleague helped her see that those leadership skills were her “secret weapon,” and with that awareness, she transitioned from merely surviving in her roles to becoming a PMP-accredited leadership badass. Now, after 7 years as a Project Management Institute chapter leader of the PMI Baton Rouge and the solopreneur behind Inspire Creativity Consulting, she guides others through the complexities of leadership by focusing on transparency. Her mission is to foster a culture of openness, address conflicts constructively, encourage mutual feedback, and transparently explain the rationale behind decisions to ensure everyone understands the process and outcomes.

In leadership, like in horror films, building trust within your team is essential—it’s more than just sharing surface-level stories around a campfire (or on Zoom); it’s about creating genuine connections. Tanya’s approach? Leading with kindness and empathy. She understands that some team members are cautious, much like characters in a horror film who are slow to trust. By reading the room and adjusting her approach, she ensures everyone feels valued and heard.

Tanya also knows that leadership isn’t a solo journey—leaning on your network is crucial. She’s encountered situations where she recognized her own limitations and strategically engaged allies with the right communication styles or skills to navigate challenging circumstances. This approach allows her to lead effectively, even when she’s not directly involved in every aspect.

What drives Tanya is the thrill of motivating others. Helping people see things differently or become better versions of themselves is her true measure of success. Or, in her own words,

As stakeholders in projects, we need to be prepared to drive the stake into the vampiric instances that threaten to drain the life blood of your project’s success.

Inspired by this? Let’s profile your leadership journey next!

And don’t miss my sessions at the PMI Global Summit (Session 230: Resilience and Relatability: A New Paradigm for Project Leadership, and Session 327: Rock Lobster Leadership: Lessons From the Music and Career of The B-52s), where we’ll explore leading with both heart and mind.

#Leadership #TeamBuilding #PMIGlobalSummit #HumanCenteredSuccess #HorrorMovieLeadership