The Messy Leadership Podcast - Lead with Empathy, Not Numbers (With Ryan Labong)

Lead with Empathy, Not Numbers (With Ryan Labong)

12/03/24 • 18 min

Host Christi Scarrow and Guest Ryan Labong (Chief Commercial Officer at Nature’s Path) have a conversation centered around the importance of executing strategy and fostering an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns. Ryan shares how performance culture can negatively impact long term growth and the importance of empathy to counterbalance this. Christi and Ryan discuss the importance of developing high performing teams supported by non-judgemental leaders.

Action Items

-Focus the team on no more than three clear strategic priorities. -Continue holding regular one-on-ones, bi-weekly check-ins, and quarterly milestone reviews -Invest in team-building activities like volunteering together to foster collaboration and camaraderie. -Lead with empathy and compassion for sustainability Outline

Leadership lessons, challenges, and strategies for keeping teams motivated and driven.

-Ryan Labong emphasizes the importance of execution in business, citing a high-performing team as crucial to achieving common goals. -He believes leaders should be situational and adaptable to bring out the best in their team members, fostering collaboration and connectedness. -Ryan discusses challenges in leadership, including maintaining drive and engagement over time. -He shares strategies for keeping things fresh, such as setting ambitious goals and breaking them down into smaller milestones. Leadership, empathy, and finding balance in managing a high-performing team.

-Ryan Labong emphasizes the importance of clear operating models and priorities to drive habits and focus for the team. -He advises newer managers to prioritize and make hard choices to achieve success, even in an ambitious organization. -Ryan emphasizes the importance of empathy and flexibility in leadership, citing the need to understand and support team members' personal challenges. -He advocates for a balance between driving results and building a high-performance team through collective support and rallying around individual needs. Leadership, team building, and overcoming challenges.

-Ryan emphasizes the importance of team building and investing in activities that foster collaboration and camaraderie. -Christi agrees and suggests that team building can be a cost-efficient way to reset the mindset and have fun with the team. -Leaders should foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. -Effective leadership is not a guarantee, but it's fulfilling when teams perform well due to the leader's influence. Useful Links

Host: Christi's Web Page

Guest: Nature's Path Organic

Lighthouse NINE Group: Web page

Contributors

Music: All The Fixings by Zachariah Hickman

Editing: tribe74

Action Items

Leadership lessons, challenges, and strategies for keeping teams motivated and driven.

Host: Christi's Web Page

Guest: Nature's Path Organic

Lighthouse NINE Group: Web page

Contributors

Music: All The Fixings by Zachariah Hickman

Editing: tribe74

Previous Episode

Battling Imposter Syndrome (with Pina Melchionna)

Host Christi Scarrow sits down with Pina Melchionna, President and CEO at CITT Canada's Logistics Association, and shares insights on leadership with an emphasis on authenticity and inclusivity. Pina recounts a pivotal moment in her career where asking for clarification led to positive feedback, teaching her the value of vulnerability and authenticity. She highlights the importance of mindful language to avoid exclusion, suggesting leaders use inclusive terms like "you all" instead of "you guys." She also advocates for a coach-like approach to feedback and the need to tailor leadership styles to individual employees' needs and cultural sensitivities.

Action Items

-Be willing to speak up in support of yourself and others. -Be mindful of exclusionary terminology as a leader. -Explore different coaching techniques to provide constructive feedback, such as asking reflective questions. -Reinforce positive behaviors more frequently to balance out corrective feedback. Outline

Early Career Lessons in Leadership

-Pina shares her early career lesson about showing up authentically, especially as a female leader in a male-dominated field. -She recounts a specific incident where she asked for clarification in a boardroom, which led to positive feedback from colleagues. -Pina emphasizes the importance of asking questions and being vulnerable as a leader, which can lead to better understanding and engagement. Inclusive Leadership and Language

-Christi and Pina discuss the challenges of being a minority in a male-dominated room and the importance of inclusive language. -Pina highlights the need for leaders to be mindful of their language to avoid exclusion, even if it means using more inclusive terms like "you all" instead of "you guys." -She shares a personal experience where she provided feedback to a speaker about using inclusive language during a presentation. -Pina stresses the importance of leaders taking responsibility for correcting exclusionary language and being open to feedback themselves. Challenges in People Management

-Pina identifies the difficulty in balancing the role of a coach with the need to address underperformance as a challenge. -She discusses the importance of maintaining a positive intent when providing feedback and the struggle with people not always receiving constructive feedback well. -Pina shares tips for giving feedback, such as starting with positive reinforcement and framing feedback as a way to help the person improve. Situational Coaching and Cultural Sensitivity

-Christi and Pina delve into the concept of situational coaching and tailoring leadership styles to meet individual employee needs. -Pina explains that different employees respond to feedback in different ways, and leaders should adapt their approach accordingly. -She emphasizes the importance of cultural sensitivity and being aware of how different backgrounds and biases can influence communication. -Pina shares examples of how she has adapted her coaching style to better resonate with employees from diverse cultural backgrounds. Final Thoughts and Resources

-Christi thanks Pina for sharing her insights and emphasizes the importance of situational coaching and cultural sensitivity in leadership. -Pina reiterates the importance of recognizing that most people genuinely want to do a good job and the need for change management principles. -Christi provides resources and links for listeners looking for help with people management and leadership challenges. -The conversation concludes with mutual appreciation and a reminder of the ongoing challenges and opportunities in leadership. Useful Links

Host: Christi's Web Page

Guest: CITT Canada

Lighthouse NINE Group: Web page

Contributors

Music: All The Fixings by Zachariah Hickman

Editing: tribe74

Next Episode

Silence as a Path to Innovation (with Jennifer Braganza)

Jennifer Braganza (VP of Operational Excellence at Pontoon Solutions), sits down with host Christi Scarrow and discusses the importance of passion and the necessity of learning from failures. She highlights the significance of connecting organizational goals to employees' interests and the value of timely, specific recognition. Braganza also stresses the importance of building teams, not just finding outstanding talent, and the need for leaders to be adaptable and transparent. She shares strategies for encouraging diversity of thought, such as using anonymous brainstorming tools and advises leaders to understand and adapt to their team members' preferences for feedback.

Action Items

-Implement a regular team meeting tradition of starting with recognition and appreciation. -Explore the use of tools like Mentimeter to encourage divergent thinking and avoid groupthink within existing teams. -Share your “How to Handle Me” cheat sheet with others and help your team to share it with you Outline

Engaging Teams and the Importance of Recognition

-Jennifer explains the importance of connecting organizational goals to what is important to individuals and accepting that not everyone will be passionate about the same things. -She highlights the role of the first follower in making a leader -Jennifer shares her practice of starting team meetings with recognition, emphasizing the need for timely, concrete, and specific appreciation. Balancing Recognition and Constructive Criticism

-Christi and Jennifer discuss the importance of recognition and the analogy of giving "sunshine" to people. -Jennifer talks about the need for constructive criticism and the balance between recognizing good work and providing feedback. -She mentions the importance of building recognition into organizational systems and structures, emphasizing the need to focus on positive actions. Challenges of Leadership and Building Teams

-Jennifer discusses the importance of being aware that leaders are always being watched and the impact of their reactions on their teams. -She shares her strategy of training her brain to react positively to new ideas and the importance of giving team members the opportunity to flesh out their ideas. -Jennifer emphasizes the need to build a team, not just find outstanding talent, and the importance of considering the fit for purpose when hiring. Encouraging Diversity of Thought and Managing Teams

-Jennifer explains the use of tools like Mentimeter for anonymous brainstorming to encourage divergent thinking. -She emphasizes the importance of leaders being quiet and allowing team members to speak first to avoid groupthink. -Jennifer highlights the importance of safe spaces for sharing ideas. Adapting Leadership Styles and Empowering Teams

-Jennifer advises focusing on either results or personal development and being adaptable to the needs of the team. -She emphasizes the importance of being honest and asking questions to understand how team members prefer to receive feedback and recognition. -Jennifer shares her practice of having a "how to handle me" conversation with new managers to set expectations and improve communication. Building Trust and Transparency in Leadership

-Jennifer discusses the importance of building trust with teams and being transparent. -She shares her experience of realizing that her facial expressions could be misinterpreted and the need to provide context for her reactions. -Jennifer emphasizes the importance of apologizing for any abruptness and being clear about the reasons behind her actions. Useful Links

Host: Christi's Web Page

Guest: Pontoon Solutions

Tool: Mentimeter

Lighthouse NINE Group: Web page

Ted Talk: How to start a movement

Contributors

Music: All The Fixings by Zachariah Hickman

Editing: tribe74