Leadership Skills – Page 2 – Dr. Joy Karavedas

Reflections on Becoming Dr. Karavedas – No. 12

I was in line with the colleagues and friends I had made through the program. Someone somewhere told us to begin walking. In the distance, I could just make out Pomp and Circumstance. The moment I walked through the door, it became real. Suddenly, I became emotional. This was the end of the journey, the moment I had dreamed about and worked tremendously hard to realize. Or, perhaps, it’s just the beginning – the beginning of a new journey…a journey that will lead to new dreams and new places.

As the Dean placed the doctoral hood over my head to welcome me into the academy, I realized I was part of the next generation of doctors eager to take on the world.

Only 1% of the people in the United States can call themselves doctors.

Academics, researchers, experts, and scientists – we come from many different places and are headed out to even more. The one thing we have in common is that none of us reached this destination alone. My doctorate is a significant accomplishment, but it is not mine alone. It would not have been realized without those who have gone before me, walked alongside me, and will follow after me on this journey.

I dedicate my work to …

My Dissertation Chair, Dr. Jeffrey Lee – the scholarly expert whose advice, support and expertise consistently challenged me and made me better; beyond that, he provided vision for the future I couldn’t always see.

My Dissertation Committee, Dr. Andrew Barton and Dr. Cheryl Marie Osborne Hansberger – the support team whose gentle guidance was consistent and always available.

My Cohort Sisters, Dr. Tess Breen and Sister Dr. Mary Amanda Nwagbo – the women who traveled alongside me during this journey and provided strength, drive, fun, and maybe a glass of wine or two, along the way. You truly are my sisters.

My Grammy, Esther Tune – a woman so far ahead of her time she couldn’t see the impact she would have on those who followed after her. I will always be indebted to her for my strength, my resolve, and my endless quest to know more.

My Mom, Jean Davidson – the woman who taught me I could do whatever I set my heart to and the future was a wide-open door.

My Grandchildren, Allison, Kara, Nicholas, Kyle, and Joseph – the joy of my life and the future that drives my legacy. Each of you is strong, brave, and full of potential to impact the world. Nana loves you all.

My Family, Peter, Ashley, Erin, LJ, and Joseph – the ones who keep me grounded and help me remember who I am is just as important as who I want to be. It is my joy and pleasure to watch you journey through life. I am so very proud of each of you.

And, finally, my Husband, Nick Karavedas – the man who has loved and supported me unconditionally for over 37 years. Without your willingness to sacrifice your own needs and desires for mine, I would not be Dr. Karavedas. I love you more than you know.

Personal Reflections on Lessons Learned from Leadership Fails

My best successes came on the heels of failures – Barbara Corcoran

It’s often said that we learn best from our mistakes. This is particularly true in leadership. Leadership situations are unpredictable and often call for spontaneous decision-making. While each of us can draw upon wisdom gained from past experiences and emotional intelligence gained from personal growth, we may still miss the target on occasion. Reflecting on the lessons learned from these leadership fails is the best way to make sure to get it right the next time.

Most leaders understand the organizational impact gained from empowering team members to pick up a project and run with it. However, knowing when to let someone run with the ball and how far to let them go can be tricky to navigate. I remember a situation in which a team member had some pretty good ideas but they appeared too far out of the comfort zone for our organization. In fact, I remember one 20-minute conversation based on “thinking outside the box while remaining in the box.” What does that mean anyway? It turns out, he was right. It was time to push our organization a little further than it was comfortable. Rather than stifling this team member’s creativity, my role should have been to help organizational leaders understand the need to take risk and see the possibilities. I am happy to say that team member is still with the organization and has been doing great things to move it forward.

Another complicated situation is conflict between a team member and a customer. Team members want your support and customers firmly believe they are always right. Usually, neither party is all right or all wrong. In one instance, I had a team leader who had been given authority over a particular project. Exercising that authority, the team leader assigned a large penalty due to the customer’s mistake. Both parties brought the matter to me to mediate; neither felt they were out of line. After thorough review, I agreed with the customer believing the infraction did not warrant the penalty assessed. This caused significant animosity between the team leader and me, which was never fully repaired. I believe my decision was the right decision, but I could have handled the situation better. First, if there were restrictions on the team leader’s authority, I should have made that clear from the beginning of the project. Also, once conflict began, it would have been beneficial to step in earlier before the situation progressed too far (although there were some challenges in this case that made that impossible). As such, I was brought in to “clean things up” and had little opportunity to work out a better solution.

The most difficult leadership situations can involve those who lead you. My largest leadership fail falls under this description. Understanding how to address a conflict in leadership is of utmost important to leaders at all levels. In my specific situation, a project had been removed from my oversight without explanation. I had received superior reviews up to that point from within and outside the organization. I had even been promised additional projects based on my handling of the specific project. My direct supervisor could not provide explanation as to why the project was being taken from me and only offered promises of opportunities in other areas. Her responses made it clear she was being directed from someone above her, and I chose to confront that person. I made several mistakes during this confrontation – 1) I allowed my emotions to lead the confrontation; 2) I put my thoughts in writing (email) rather than meeting personally; and 3) I made insinuations that the situation was politically motivated. Each of these was a mistake, but together, they could have spelled disaster. Fortunately, this person is an amazing leader. She was able to model true leadership through a discussion that followed my poor confrontation choice. While I never received a solid explanation for the decision, I gained a significant lesson in managing people in distress and handling leadership conflict.

Zig Ziglar said, “If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost.” I would add that if you haven’t failed in leadership, you may not be leading. None of us is perfect, and fortunately, perfection is not required of leadership. Leaders who are vulnerable enough to admit their mistakes and learn from them are successful leaders.

Leading from the Middle: Using Your Influence to Lead Others and Improve Your Own Position

“Leadership is a choice, not a position.” Stephen Covey

I once spent two months discussing, negotiating, talking about – ok arguing about – a title for my position. I lost that argument. For the next two years I learned to live with a title I didn’t like, and then I was promoted. Until I truly understood that leadership did not depend upon a title or position, it was difficult for me to feel successful in leadership. For many years, I tied my leadership value to my perceived achievement and the recognition of others.

I know differently now.

A title or position has nothing to do with leadership. Leadership begins within and is demonstrated through actions. Each of us has influence in whatever position we find ourselves, and the manner in which you use that influence impacts the lives of those around you and the life of your organization. The truth is we all lead every day. The problem is with our own view of leadership. Who chooses the restaurant for dinner? Who makes the phone call to a sad friend? Who is given the extra project at work because the boss knows it will be done? Who follows up to make sure the client is satisfied? All these are the actions of a leader. The leader understands what is needed and makes it happen.

Position isn’t everything but position can still be important. How do you move yourself out of your current position and into a more senior leadership position? There are a few things you can do to demonstrate leadership within your current role that might help you move into a new leadership role – one with a title you like.

Act with Integrity – Your character and integrity should be the place where your leadership begins. Plus, even a person with no integrity respects a person who has it.

Lead Well in All Places – Never look at a job or position as small or beneath you. Embrace the position and give it all you have. You will be rewarded.

Go the Extra Mile – In a recent article, Suzy Welch said if you want to get promoted, “you need to over-deliver.” She’s right. It’s also important that you give credit where credit is due – your team. Over-delivering results is beneficial to your organization and crediting your team demonstrates your ability to lead.

Network Continuously – Leadership is about influence and networking allows you to build influence. Building strategic relationships is beneficial to you, your team, and your organization.

Stay Away from the Drama – Most senior leaders don’t have the time or desire to participate in the office drama. You shouldn’t either.

A title doesn’t make you a leader. But, if you lead well in the smaller positions, you just might find yourself wearing a new title – the one you really want.

People Who Need People: The Fine Art of Networking

“The best way to lead people into the future is to connect with them deeply in the present.” – James Kouzes & Barry Posner

Leadership doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We are people who need people and not just people to follow us around because we are the leader. We need people to walk ahead of us and beside us and with us. My recent research on leadership skills development indicated that successful leaders maintain a broad network of professional relationships. Effective leaders look beyond themselves and establish a wide variety of relationships with assorted influencers.

My husband is a natural at networking. Give him an hour in a room and he will know the names of half the people in the room and have made lunch arrangements with most of those. My approach is a little different, but it works well for my style. Networking is simply getting to know people and building relationships. Everyone has the ability to do that and, with the right perspective, I believe most may even find it fun. Whether you are a natural at networking or you need a little encouragement to start down that path, these tips can guide your steps:

Be Curious – Networking is simply meeting a variety of people and getting to know them. Stay curious and open your mind to the different people around you at work, across your organization, at conferences, in classes, etc. Take a genuine interest in their stories. You may find that you actually enjoy this, and you will definitely make valuable professional relationships.

Be Authentic – You can only be you. If you try to be anyone else, it will be obvious and it is not a good start to any relationship. It may be tempting to inflate your accomplishments or knowledge level when meeting someone further along in the leadership journey. Resist that temptation. The best senior leaders relish the opportunity to share stories and impart wisdom to those still along the path. Feel free to ask their input and allow them to share their expertise.

Be Willing – The time to start is now. Building professional relationships takes time, but it is time well spent. One conversation may not lead to your next promotion, but you never know where it will lead without engaging in it. Prepare a list of people you’d like to get to know better and invite one of them to coffee. Make a game of gathering business cards or contact information at your next conference. If it’s good enough for Nike, it’s good enough for you – just do it!

A strategic network of mixed relationships sparks innovation and creativity, reinforces decision-making skills, and supports future organizational growth. Providing a diverse look at leadership styles through a mixed group of professional relationships can play an integral role in your leadership success. Without exception, if you are a mid-level leader or just beginning the leadership journey, establishing a broad professional network is invaluable to your career. We cannot lead alone. Building a broad network of professional relationships ensures that we don’t have to.