Listen? Learn. Lead!

Shout out to my friends at Divurgent, Horne, KaufmanHall, Protiviti, Robert Half and Odgers Berndtson.

In launching an advisory service offering interim leadership, at its core I have spent a great deal of time contemplating my approach. I began with what I wanted in my interim executives while serving as the Executive Vice President of Seattle Cancer Care. I have synthesized my thoughts into the following framework:

• Listen

• Learn

• Lead

• Legacy

Listening is the critical step and must be step one as well as a guiding principle throughout any engagement. In this step I must hear what the organization expects of me. This includes the person engaging me as well as the peers, direct reports and key stakeholders of the role I have been trusted to fill. This will lead to the key goals and measurable outcomes from the engagement.

Learning through observations and conversation is the next logical step.  

• What is the existing culture of the organization?  

• How are decisions made?  

• How can I help those around me be more successful? 

• What are the current priorities of the organization?  

• How does my engagement and its objectives contribute to this?  

Answers to these questions inform my approach and tactical plan to deliver value.

Leading is intentionally next. This is an action word that requires key information from the first two step. I am a servant leader focused on collaboration contributing to the success of others and the organization. I realize that effective leaders must have willing followers. The path to cultivating followers and partners in collaboration begins with trust. Trust can only be developed through honesty, integrity, humility and transparency. Key behaviors in my approach include accountability, visibility and a sense of urgency.

Legacy is a word that captures my interest in having a lasting impact. I want the organization to capture value from my work that sustains long after my departure. Taking care to ensure my contributions are consistent with the culture, priorities and values of the organization.

What attributes do you want to see in an interim leader? Would be interested in your thoughts and feedback.