I enjoyed speaking with Kathy Andrews, a noted leadership coach. We explored the shift from traditional leadership best practices to more applicable real practices. This post shares insights from our discussion on the evolution of leadership.
Kathy Andrews highlighted that while leadership theories are useful, they aren’t everything. Leaders need to embody these practices with humility and ongoing self-reflection truly. She stressed that leadership is more about consistent practice and habits than just holding a title.
Challenges of Skill-Based Promotions
We discussed the common issue of promoting individuals based solely on their technical skills. Kathy emphasized that effective leadership requires a broader set of abilities. The journey from being a specialist to a visionary leader involves intentional growth and training.
Our talk also discussed the limitations of rigidly sticking to “best practices” in a rapidly changing world. We agreed on the importance of adaptable and flexible leadership approaches, especially when managing diverse and distributed teams. Leaders must adjust their styles to meet their teams’ specific needs.
Cultivating Collaboration
Kathy believes leaders should cultivate a collaborative culture by defining and sharing core values and behaviors. This is crucial in today’s varied work environments, helping to unite teams across different generations and locations. The aim is to foster a shared sense of purpose beyond physical office spaces.
Prioritizing Human Connections
With remote work becoming the norm and AI changing how we interact, Kathy underscored the importance of genuine human connections. Leaders should build trust through meaningful interactions and investing in their relationships with team members. Authentic connections can significantly enhance team dynamics and performance.
Kathy brought up an interesting point about the ratio of positive to negative feedback in successful teams. She noted that the best teams often have a high positive feedback ratio. Emphasizing positive contributions can greatly improve team morale and productivity, and leaders should strive to provide specific, positive feedback intentionally.
Services Offered by Kathy’s Firm
Before wrapping up, Kathy discussed her boutique consulting firm based in North Vancouver. They specialize in leadership development through customized workshops and provide tailored advising, even updating performance review processes. Her firm also offers executive coaching for leaders at various career stages.
Reflect and Evolve Your Leadership Style
I invite you to think about how you can bring more authenticity and adaptability into your leadership style. If your performance review methods seem outdated, perhaps it’s time for an update. Kathy Andrews and her team are great resources for improving leadership skills and organizational culture.
Thank you for joining this exploration of modern leadership. The insights from my discussion with Kathy Andrews encourage us to move from traditional best practices to truly effective practices in today’s environment. Effective leadership is not just about knowledge—how well you connect, adapt, and grow with your team.
Our Host
John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.
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