Leadership is more than a buzzword: Food for thought for leaders looking to do things differently

I've been talking about leadership, culture and teamship over the last few articles, predominantly sharing my thoughts and approaches. However, in this article, I'm also sharing the thoughts of a manager within my team. As head of marketing, Elaine is one of my direct reports and so my journey has been hers too, which has ultimately involved the entire team. With the help of another, we unpicked our journey so far through a series of (surprise!) questions on the topic of Leadership.

The last 12 months have seen Lee adopt a different leadership style and instil ways of working that support high performance. How has that manifested in and impacted the sales and marketing team and wider department?

Elaine: As a team, we already had a good level of openness and honesty and started on a solid foundation. So the change has been subtle as we continue to build on that strong foundation. The big challenge continues to be how we take those behaviours we demonstrate as a team and roll them out to the wider department to instil the same approach.??

?The biggest change over this last year has been in Lee himself. And it has been a positive change that's benefited the team and me personally. His relentless personal development and commitment to the team's development saw us taking part in book clubs with him, having coaching with him, and more besides. Ultimately, it was a journey of self-reflection and discovery for all of us. But the biggest thing to come out of it was probably Lee's empathy, which has allowed the entire team to operate more authentically and with greater trust.?

?Lee: Elaine is an exceptional leader. She has led her team in such a way to set those firm foundations that gave them a head start on the ethos we continue to strive for and hone. She has the empathy necessary to build trust within the team. Her approach allowed her to seamlessly integrate two business functions – marketing and sales - without experience in the latter and disruption to either team.?

?As a leadership team, we're working on driving that ethos and culture across the entire department. It's not straightforward given roles are very different within the organisation, there's a different management structure and a different degree of emotional intelligence across the department. So it's a work in progress.

Lee points out that Elaine doesn’t have experience in the same discipline as some of her team. How can that benefit your leadership style???

Elaine: It helps me not jump into solution mode. For example, when someone in the team asks me about a specific sales-related scenario, I don't have the experience to give them direction. So I ask questions and help them figure out the solution themselves. That's empowering for them and a great development opportunity too.???

Lee:? It forces more of a coaching style of management which is great for the team's development. In Elaine's team, it has led to colleagues tapping into peer-to-peer support too, which is powerful in terms of the approach we're instilling.

Your leadership styles are effective in building high performing teams. What sits at the centre of your approach?

Elaine: It's just about being human, empathising with people, thinking about people as more than their role, respecting them and appreciating that people have other stuff going on. In terms of how that translates in practice, I believe the integration of the teams benefited from my openness and authenticity. I was very upfront with them about not having a sales background and genuine when I told them I'd support and coach them within their roles. Today, many people believe they must have all the answers, but I don't see it this way. Your team will respect you more if you're honest and say, 'I don't know, but I'll find the answer'.?

Another good example of what's at the core of my approach is how I conduct appraisals. Of course, I acknowledge where individuals are against the numbers. But more importantly, I talk about how they're feeling, what they're enjoying etc – all the things that go alongside delivering results. The numbers and the person are separate, so they need to be addressed independently. Emotional intelligence comes into play here too. Adapting conversations according to the person and their needs is crucial. I tailor my focus depending on whether that person would get the most out of working through things on a more personal level or by delving into the process.??

I wholeheartedly trust that everyone in the team knows what they're doing, so I trust what they do. You've got to have that trust. It's a massive part of my approach.?

Lee: Leadership seems to be getting turned into a discipline. Too many people are calling themselves leaders – they're saying the right things and using the buzzwords. But they're not living and breathing what they're advocating. Having the adaptability to identify individuals and deal with them as individuals helps get the best out of them – and that's good leadership. For example, Elaine gets into the individual's mindset to understand what's going on with them socially, personally and professionally. And then she couples all that with our strategic objectives to help develop them as individuals. It's refreshing and effective. I see too much 'robot managing' in businesses that's all about the process and numbers. To achieve as individuals and as businesses, there needs to be a more personal approach to leadership and people management.??

As I've said before, the number is important, but the focus must be on the process of how you get there. By that, I mean the systems process and personal development too. It allows people to turn up and be the best version of themselves. It helps identify their purpose and what they want to get from their role and gives them a path to achieving those things, so they'll likely hit the numbers naturally.

Going back to what you said earlier about your approach rippling through to other teams and how it can be a challenge, where do you think the opportunities are to make inroads?

Elaine: Instilling new behaviours takes time and more so when you've inherited a team, for example, if you're new to the organisation, rather than curated one. And some teams naturally necessitate more focus on specific system skills or particular experience. That said, you can still start to change the team culture to reflect more people-orientated behaviours such as empathy, authenticity, respect and trust by demonstrating them in your own actions as a leader.??

Hiring is a perfect opportunity to make significant headway because you can start hiring based on team fit, as well as skills and experience, of course. In some teams, the latter two can take a back seat, but that doesn't mean doing away with relevant interview processes such as competency-based questioning, which we use at RS. For example, I'll take time to have a general conversation with candidates to get to know more about them as people and understand their values to be sure they're right for the role and team. And there's no science to it. It's often instinctive.?

Lee: I agree, you need the competency framework. Still, as you're going through the interview you need to naturally identify if the candidate will fit into the team culture and the people they'll be working with. Obviously, there needs to be some technical competency. But they could be the most skilled, yet without the team fit or an appreciation of the behaviours you're trying to instil across the business, you could argue it's just a group of people that can do a job. I don't believe that's enough for them to stay motivated and it certainly doesn't bode well for working with trust and openness – all the things I've advocated in previous articles.?

I'd also add that leaders can instigate a 'quick win' change in culture by simply being steady in how they show up. I was once told I have a big impact on people when I walk into a room, which I wasn't aware of. And so it's important to be emotionally steady rather than swaying from one emotion to another and being unpredictable. That doesn't mean being robot-like. It's about being aware of and managing your emotions. Transparency is still vital.

Finally, for any leaders reading this and wanting to make headway towards a team that operates empathically, openly, with trust and authenticity, what can they do today?

Elaine: Connect with your people. Put a call in with your team and really get to know them. Take a moment out of your day to have those important conversations and ask them how they're feeling. The crucial point is you have to do it with meaning, and it not just be a tick box exercise. Making it about your team is a very easy starting point before moving on to understanding how you want to lead.??

?Lee: Sit for a day, self-reflect and understand or find your purpose. Pause. Ask yourself how you want to be as a person and how you want to develop, and write it down. I asked myself how I could be more present, more focused, and look after myself better. I considered what people needed from me and reflected on my mental wellbeing too. It's important to acknowledge the aspects of yourself no longer serving you. Face up to the fact you might not be the person you want to be and be open to who/how you aspire to be. Then tell your team. Every leader should be transparent, and you'll get respect for that.

Who Is Lee?

Lee Kilminster is Commercial Director for RS’ EMEA Distributor Partners & Export Solutions and Chair of Governors for Great Doddington Primary School. In his personal time you’ll see him walking to the sounds of the High Performance Podcast, hanging out with his 8 year old son and enjoying a whisky (but perhaps not all at the same time).