In a previous newsletter, I shared a glimpse of my earlier career as an Occupational Therapist (OT). I also touched upon how my current work leverages the education and skills I acquired during my decade-long tenure in the healthcare system. Today, I’d like to delve deeper into how these experiences, coupled with my extensive involvement in leadership teams, committees, and boards, have equipped me with a multifaceted skill set in my role as an Executive Coach and Execution Consultant.

A major part of taking a Leadership First Approach is shifting your focus to being less about what others are doing around you, and more about what you are doing.

And it’s not about being selfish, but being self-focused and self-aware.

And not for the sake of making you the most important person in the room, but for the purpose of being an effectively influential person in the room for the sake of those around you.

Coming from a healthcare background, I possess a solid foundation in Human Behavior and Psychology. This background allows me to offer a distinctive perspective in the realm of working with leadership teams. I specialize in delving into the human side of business, helping to uncover the root causes of interpersonal challenges within leadership teams and employee groups (Elephant in the Boardroom!).

In my business now, I assist executives and leadership teams in recognizing their individual biases, learning preferences, communication styles, behaviors, etc. This heightened self-awareness empowers them to amplify their leadership capabilities, resulting in improved team performance.

“…Oooh interesting… Tell me more…”

You got it!

Another unique advantage that stems from my experience as an OT is having worked with patients to understand their goals, their underlying motivations, developing comprehensive plans to help them achieve those objectives, and helping them navigate changes along the way.

While some of their goals were financially driven (like how to go back to work and provide for their family) much like the needs of a business, the patient’s goals always related back to the human and their life.

It’s was never about the goal alone. It always about underlying motivators (purpose/why), and designed execution (how).

Successful organizations understand that leadership plays a pivotal role in fostering a balance between pushing to achieve goals, and the well-being of their employees/teams.

Here’s the concept:

Organizations needs to make money > Organizations that make money in a healthy way are ran by good people >  Good people are shaped by effective leadership > Effective leadership comes from understanding yourself and how/why you operate and behave the way you do.

Organizations need to make money > Organizations that make money, successfully execute on their goals > Successful executions comes from having a clear plan, a roadmap for how to get “there,” and the ability to effectively navigate change > The ability to effectively navigate change is dependent on the organization being ran by good people > Good people are shaped by effective leadership…

…Do you see where I’m going?…

So, as we reflect on my journey and experiences, I encourage you to ponder the backgrounds and past experiences of your own leadership team and managers. What unique attributes and perspectives do they bring to the table, even if seemingly unrelated to their current roles?

This is a reminder that our diverse life experiences, whether directly connected to our work or not, shape who we are and how we contribute to our organizations. Just as in my case, these experiences can be nurtured and harnessed to drive progress and innovation within our teams and organizations.