Thank you! My leader, Phil Howarth – 6 things you taught me !

As I reflect on my journey at Frost & Sullivan, I specifically want to say thank you and pay tribute to Phil Howarth, Partner at Frost & Sullivan. The man who rehired me in this company 11 years ago in Cape Town. Without a doubt, I owe him a lot for making me the person I am today. Besides him being my boss, he is my leader, mentor, guide, my sounding board, troubleshooter, favorite uncle to my kids and mostly a dear family friend of mine.

Over the period I have known Phil has taught me quite a lot of things, some directly and some indirectly. I hope to implement some of these learning and become a better leader 

Believe in your hiring’s - Phil showed enormous faith in me as I started my career as a program manager for the chemicals business unit. I remember instances from the starting period of my career where I made some blunders on client deliverable's, Phil would sit me down and teach me patiently. I am sure I must have tested his patience many times but he persisted with me and showed great belief on me. This encouraged and spurred me to go after things I never believed I could achieve (I remember the chemicals BU winning the best BU award in 2009 just a year after I started it). He gave me more opportunities and always backed with his belief that I could do it.

Getting the most of your colleagues by being a boss and friend - Showed me how to be stern dealing with issues, playing by the book and at the same time and being firm in your decisions. A quality that I have always admired in him is that he dealt with issues very fairly and never took sides. At the same time, he ensured that we were good friends outside work. Learned from him that you can be a strict boss at work but you can also be a good friend outside. I will always remember our boy’s night out in Cape Town. Was so much fun outside work and I used to look forward to Thursdays. He had such a great way with his people. 

Let go and see others flourish - Phil had this unique knack of knowing when to let go and hand it over to someone. He used to stand and watch for a bit to ensure that we needed hand holding and once he is convinced, he let them completely take over. Because of his generous attitude, I did over 4 roles in my 8 years at the firm. I can't imagine any other leader allowing this to happen. It was an amazing trait that I have tried to emulate over the years

Having fun in and outside work - He showed me how to work hard and have fun in equal measure. I remember the days we used to work hard on completing client proposals or deliverable's. He used to be very systematic in showing the direction of how he would like it to be completed. I remember the countless dinners and outings we enjoyed together as families. Hanging out with Phil was so much fun and joyful always

Sticking to commitments – I learned a lot of work ethic from him. I hardly remember a time when he has missed a deadline. When he commits to something, he will ensure that he stays on top of it until it is done. There was a time he was shuttling between Latin America & Africa, and even in that harsh travel conditions, he kept his word on any deliverable's / actions. Was amazing to see the way he kept his commitments.

Looking after you always –Phil gave all the freedom I needed to implement bold ideas and was always comforted by the fact that he will be there for you when needed. It was a huge relief to have a leader who keeps his word and also ensures that it is done.

Many thanks, Phil for everything you have done for me and playing a big part in making me a person I am today. #Bigsalute #Respect #corporateteaching #mentorship #stewardship

Would love to hear from you on your inspiration(s) in your career and what you learnt in the process.