BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS
CORPORATE LIFE THE PATH TO BEING THE BEST LEADER
Clear communication of your priorities will help to establish expectations and give your team something to hold you accountable for. “Make them hold you to it,” Bearden adds. In order to be an effective leader, you should be able to
listen to and implement feedback. Therefore, you should work toward building an environment where your team feels that their voice is going to be heard. “People feel comfortable with
he success of an organization hinges on good leadership. At their best, leaders can inspire their team, facilitate productivity, and build a cohesive sense of community among the people who work for them. But what is the secret to good leadership? How can you become a good leader yourself? Cheri Larkins, Gator Harvey, and Kevin Bearden recently
T
sat down with a group of emerging leaders to discuss these very questions. The trio talked about their experiences as team leaders at the corporate level and offered some advice on developing strong leadership skills. “For me, leadership is dirty,” said Larkins, the Director of
Talent Acquisition for RMS at Lockheed Martin. “When I think about the success that I’ve had, it wasn’t the glamorous parts of being a leader that made them successful. It was plugging the holes, dragging the goal over the finish line for my team when they were tired, when we had been at it for months.” Both of her colleagues agreed, dispensing the myth that
leadership roles are somehow glamorous. Larkins laughed. “There’s no glitter, no confetti…I don’t even eat lunch sometimes.” Instead, the group spoke of leadership as a job that
requires intense deliberation and vulnerability. “The further up you go, the more influence you wield,” says Harvey, the director at Northrop Grumman Technical Services. “People are watching you.” Ultimately, being a good leader is acting with integrity and
setting the best possible example. “If I’m acting in an ethical, moral way, people are going to say, ‘That’s someone I can trust,’” Harvey explained. “As leaders, everything that we do is always on stage.” The group stressed the importance of being clear about your goals and core values. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page in terms of what you’re trying to accomplish. “The most transparent thing you can do as a leader is to communicate your leadership philosophy out to your team on both an organizational and an individual level,” said Bearden, the VP of General Dynamics’ Foreign Affairs and Transportation department.
16 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2018
“To fail at something shows you have the character to be a leader. You have to be public about it. Then, empower your people to do the corrective root- cause analysis and say, ‘This is how we’re going to correct it.’”
– Gator Harvey
their leaders when they know they can challenge and have tough discussions with those people,” said Harvey. While many people are uneasy taking constructive criticism, particularly from those who work for them, it is a necessary step in the process to becoming a great leader. Talk to your employees as well as bosses and other mentors. “The more feedback you get, the more effective you’ll be,” says Bearden. “There are general officers and senior leaders in the government who still get feedback and get coached.” If you make a mistake, it is vital that you take
responsibility. “Own it,” says Larkins. “Own that you did it, own why, and put the plan in place very publicly about what you’re going to do to recalibrate.” “To fail at something shows you have the character to be
a leader,” Harvey says. “You have to be public about it. Then, empower your people to do the corrective root-cause analysis and say, ‘This is how we’re going to correct it.’” Additionally, it is vital that you give your team credit when
they perform well. After all, a good leader is nothing without a strong team. “Ten percent of it is me,” says Larkins, referring to the success of her organization. “The other ninety percent is the hard work and dedication of the people who support me.” Essentially, the greatest leaders are those who inspire
their team to perform at an optimum rate. “If I’m doing it well, I’m trying to capture their heart,” Larkins says. “I’m trying to motivate them, trying to make them their best. That’s what makes our team the best.” S
by Christopher Zacher
editors@ccgmag.com
www.blackengineer.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116
