Heidi Saucier

Leadership lessons all around us

I’m changing gears and sharing something that was an a-ha moment for me last week. I will get back to more on balance in a future post.

During a conversation with one of my mentors, she shared a leadership lesson she encountered while on vacation. It was a special nugget that gave her some perspective on things she would like to do differently as a leader. When I heard the story, it gave me things to consider. But that’s not the point that I’m sharing today.

All around us, there are stories waiting to be revealed. Lessons in the ordinary that want to teach us about leadership and are not part of our day-to-day work. In my master’s program, I took a Team Development course. One of the group projects was to analyze a television show and identify the leadership dynamics of the characters. My group selected the show “Bones,” the 2005-2017 drama series featuring the adventures of forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence Brennan and FBI Special Agent Seely Booth as they investigated potential murders. Watching select episodes, we identified team dynamics and how the two interacted with each other and members of the forensics team. These stories, while fictional, offered comparisons of best practices and things to avoid when working with a team. This is one of many examples where television and movies can teach us about leadership, working in teams, and other important life lessons.

Nature can also teach us leadership. In the brief inspirational video, “Wisdom of Wolves: Leadership Lessons from Nature” by Simple Truths, quotes and reflective statements uncover how observations of wolves and their packs demonstrate patience, communication, and loyalty along with other characteristics that are key to leading others. The insights on communication stood out strongest to me. Just as wolves use different forms of communication among their packs to be successful, humans also have various communication methods that can be strategically used to ensure teams and individuals adequately receive information and direction to successfully complete tasks and contribute to the bigger picture of team and company goals.     

Sports is another area where some often draw leadership examples from. One of my favorite quotes is Wayne Gretzky’s “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” I’ve applied this in sales training and in my own professional development. From a sales perspective, the quote can motivate salespeople to take every opportunity to close a sale. From a professional development perspective, this quote has challenged me to look at new opportunities to grow through stretch opportunities and leadership challenges. If I don’t, I may not get that shot that could help me get to the next level of my career journey. Where have you found leadership lessons in the ordinary? How have they made a difference in your personal and professional development? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Heidi Saucier

Finding balance part 1

There are so many analogies that represent this quote. You have too much on your plate. You’ve got your hand in too many pots. You’re spreading yourself too thin. Your cup runneth over. So many of us feel that we have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders (hey, that’s another one!) as leaders and as people. In prior years, I wanted to be involved in everything, and even today it’s tempting to raise my hand to many volunteer and leadership opportunities outside of my current commitments. It took a long time to put me in a position where I knew I could not do it all and needed to stop trying.

Around the time my son was born, I kept encountering situations where I would hear or read the importance of confirming core values. As I started to explore this, I also looked at goal setting and how it aligned to key areas and my values. For example, two of my values are family and personal/professional development. As I set goals and looked at groups I wanted to be involved in, I wanted to make sure that I made reasonable commitments that aligned with my values. When I was asked to be more involved in one of the organizations I’m a member of, I had to look at what I was currently doing. Because I was already on a board for a different organization and needed to be available for things that my son was involved in, I had to politely decline. Years ago, I would have jumped at the chance to lead in multiple groups. Not only is my life much different now, but I have also learned that I need to properly balance my goals and line them up as best as possible with my values.

As I continue to look at what’s next for me both personally and professionally, the temptation is always there to jump in everywhere. What’s different now is the lens that I make decisions through. If a new opportunity comes my way, I weigh it with my current goals and my core values. If that opportunity does not support either, there’s hardly a valid reason to say yes to it. For those that do align, I still have to make sure it’s not going to put me in a position where I put my existing commitments at risk, or I need to decide if it’s time to drop something to allow the new opportunity to happen.

Stay tuned for more nuggets on finding balance when I continue this topic in my next post. What has helped you find balance? I’d love to hear about it.

Heidi Saucier

Reflections from a conference

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the National Management Association’s annual conference in Sugar Land, Texas. I’m a member of the board of directors, and this year’s Board Secretary. Next year, I’m excited to serve as the organization’s Board Treasurer. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the organization, founded by Charles Kettering in 1925. I’d like to share some nuggets I gained during my time at the event.

We had several amazing and insightful speakers during the conference. The first person I heard was Josh Linkner, a Detroit native and well-known author, speaker, and entrepreneur. His talk focused on innovation and creativity, important elements of leadership and navigating through the professional world. Among the examples he shared, the one that resonated with me most was the employee that came to him with an idea to address some legal and logistical challenges with an ad campaign he was leading. That idea was the game changer and missing piece to the puzzle he and other leaders had been trying to solve. Additionally, he shared that the idea was from an individual contributor who because of the culture he created, was comfortable approaching him and giving him the recommendation. It reinforced in me the importance of seeking diverse perspectives and being open to new ideas even if they vastly differ from yours. You can find the full story that he’s shared with others previously here.

Shayla Rivera, a former NASA engineer who truly made a career pivot moving to standup comedy and motivational speaking, was another one of the speakers. Her focus was on storytelling, something that is near and dear to my heart. Sharing her career journey and leadership topics she learned along the way, she kept the audience engaged and laughing. Among the takeaways from her session were these two quotes:

“What you are unaware of controls you. What you are aware of you can change.” This reminded me to be mindful of how to approach my personal development and areas of improvement as they are identified. Once you are aware of something, it’s up to you what happens next. It has parallels to the Johari Window that helps individuals identify blind spots and receive feedback from others to also help you be more aware of areas in your life that would benefit from change.

“We spend so much time focusing on what we put in our mouth, but not what comes out of it.” This is such a true statement! Physical health and nutrition are very important things, but so is our emotional health and professional presence. We must continue to think before we speak and seek to understand rather than being quick to react and not taking the time to self-assess before responding to someone. Hearing this from Shayla, it challenges me to do better. If you want to learn more about Shayla, check out her website.

Another great highlight of the week was a leadership panel that focused on career development journeys. Three leaders, including one of my mentors, Patrece Hamblin, shared their experiences and insights on what individuals need to consider when looking for career growth and opportunities. Each talked about identifying where you can bring value in your job, and that opportunities are more than job promotions. As I look back on my career journey so far, I recall several opportunities that were key to my development. There were times when I was stretched to begin instructional design work and learn from others to build my skills when at the time I had minimal experience. I was asked to lead in different ways through my NMA chapter, which taught me delegation and strategic planning. In my current role I’m getting involved in projects that help me gain a bigger picture of our key stakeholders and external customers that help me identify ways that we can better support these groups. Seeing how these and other experiences continue to shape me into the leader I am today, the comments of the leaders on the panel resonate with where I have been and where I am now in my career. Roderick McLean from Lockheed Martin also said something that is crucial in development. “Believe in yourself,” he said. “Not everyone is going to believe in you.” As one that battles imposter syndrome, confidence in who I am and my abilities is a key weapon along with the reminder that it’s ok if not everyone is supportive. I must move forward with the goals that I have set in place, being open to feedback but also being true to who I am and my values. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of this amazing organization and to gain the insights I did at this year’s conference. Did any of these resonate with you? What organizations have helped you in your personal and professional journey? I’d love to hear about it!

Heidi Saucier

Influential leaders

I would not be where I am today in my journey had it not been for influential leaders. Several individuals have contributed as mentors, partners, and encouragers. Through each relationship I have gained insights, new perspectives, and connections that have and continue to support the path I am on to achieve my goals.  

At the top of the list is Jennifer S. She started as a peer when I was a sales trainer, then became my leader. Knowing my potential, she pushed me to go beyond what I thought I was capable of. For myself and our team, she brought new insights on goals. One of these was encouraging us to identify a “word of the year” that connected to those goals. Some of my words included realign, cultivate, and strategic. These words reflected areas of growth and improvement I wanted to focus on for that particular year and really made a difference in how I identified key objectives. Jennifer also stretched me to be better, often candid and encouraging in her feedback. I recall one instance when she had to have a crucial conversation with me. She shared a personal example of dealing with something similar, and what she learned from the experience. She also assigned me projects that not only took me out of my comfort zone, but aided in skill development with instructional design, facilitation, and professional presence. She continues to be an encourager to me in the current path of my career journey.

Another leader that stands out is Patrece, one of my current mentors. We served on a board together and I was intrigued by some details she was sharing related to our budget. I reached out to her for insights on financial acumen, as it is one of my goals for career development. As we’ve built our mentoring relationship, the conversations have gone beyond financial topics and moved to identifying connections and learning from each other. We have found that we have some amazing commonalities that inspire each other in areas where we are looking for guidance. She also holds me accountable to my personal goals, which helps me stay committed to publishing my blog posts. Connecting with Patrece has reminded me that mentoring is a two-way relationship and both the mentor and the mentee can teach each other key topics and skills that benefit each other in the end.

These are two examples of amazing leaders that have helped in my personal and professional development over the years. I’m grateful to them and others. Who are some of your influential leaders? How have they made a difference in your life? I’d love to hear about it!

Heidi Saucier

Defining Leadership

What is leadership? How do we define it? If you do a Google search, you will find many definitions. I was recently asked to give my definition of leadership. To me, it is how you guide, influence, and support those entrusted to you. No matter the circumstances of how an individual comes under your leadership, you are given a critical responsibility to every person that is under your helm. It is important to self-assess your leadership on a regular basis to help you grow and improve. As part of that assessment, here are some questions you may want to ask yourself:

  • Are you pointing people in the right direction?
    • As a leader, people trust you to make the right decisions and give proper guidance to your team. Collaboration and empowering your team to be part of the decision-making process will also lead down a successful path. At the same time, you lead by example. Do your words and actions line up, or are you demonstrating behavior that could cause confusion or a negative perception?
  • Are you showing others how to be better people?
    • This is also part of leading by example. It can also include storytelling to share your experiences. When others hear of your successes and mistakes and what you have learned along the way, it could be the one thing they need to move forward in a decision. It could also make someone feel like they are not alone in the situation they are facing. When you do make a mistake, be honest with your team and discuss how it can be corrected. In some instances, it may become another opportunity of collaboration where your team members may have insights to bring the best solution forth.
  • Are you cheering people on to growth or are you giving orders based only on what you want accomplished?
    • There are leaders the encourage, and there are leaders that discourage. The leader that encourages their people to grow and find opportunities to learn new things makes a difference in their team and among their colleagues. The leader that discourages often experiences more turnover, decreased team morale, and resistance when attempting to bring forth change.

As you think about your leadership journey, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions. If you have not thought about your definition of leadership, take some time to reflect on that as well. Please share your definitions in the comments!