case study
meet Sarah
Do you find yourself struggling to communicate with certain people & personality types?
What if you had a toolkit and a structure to use in your every-day leadership?
Are you struggling to find a peer group of people who you connect with and truly motivate you?
Sarah found herself in the same position… she had tried it all.
As a COO of a full-service Digital Marketing Agency, Sarah wears many different hats and fulfils a multitude of roles – task or management related.
To further her development, Sarah had joined long term industry peer groups to find a sounding board or like-minded individuals in similar circumstances to her own.
“I’ve been in industry peer groups talking more about tactical items, but nothing that addressed the emotional connection that you have with the managing of people and yourself and growing as a leader, which is agnostic to the industry that you’re in.”
Sarah was searching for a toolkit on bridging the gap between the practical/tactical elements of leadership and the emotional connection that is a part of the package when managing people.
In short, she was hitting a wall.
Sarah was stumbling in her development as a leader; she realised things needed to change for her and her team to grow.
“I felt like I needed to work on myself. I wanted to grow in my role, and to do that, I knew I needed to help my people grow too.”
But Sarah had her reservations about joining the course.
Would it be a huge time commitment?
Would we be going over basic knowledge that she already has?
Her issues were specific to her role, so would a mixed course with people from different industries and experience levels be applicable?
“The Mastermind definitely achieved what I wanted it to achieve. One of the significant successes of the course was in the accountability held by the wider group and peer-to-peer environment.
I found so much value in considering the after-effects of difficult conversations where previously I had just focused on preparation. These were skills and an approach I hadn’t considered before.”
But what of that missing link? The bridge to gap her tactical approach with the empathic connection required from leadership?
“I think a lot of us overlook the amount of effort that goes into well-prepared conversations. Before the Mastermind, I hadn’t considered that different personality types respond to incoming information differently.
Sarah found that by understanding personality types and their different needs, she could form more effective conversations that worked for both parties.
“It’s been eye-opening. I’ve learned to accept my personality type and that we all receive information differently because we are all different. What is important is how to structure yourself around others and learn about their personalities.
In understanding the difference in personalities, you can ensure that the conversations had are valuable to both of you.”
The Mastermind took Sarah to depths she hadn’t considered before.
“Previously, I would have focused around the issue and chewed it to death. But it’s so much more than that; there’s the issue itself, how I can break down its components, work out what is necessary to converse about, and then what is my ideal result?
I had never considered this much structure or visualisation before a meeting. There’s planning, and then there’s awareness – two very different things.”
This awareness expanded beyond just her professional life.
“My husband and CEO have similar personality types in that they are straight to the point – whereas I’m much more detail orientated. What works for me doesn’t work for them, so the gaps in understanding come from our differing personalities… Which I now know how to manage.
This course has ultimately given me a heightened awareness of myself and how I interact with others.”
Does Sarah’s story resonate with you?
Are you ready to take your leadership skills to the next level?
Check out the link below for details on my Leadership Mastermind.
