WEBVTT 00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:20.780 Welcome back to Networking Unleashed, Building 00:00:20.780 --> 00:00:24.120 Profitable Connections. I'm your host, Michael 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:27.600 Foreman, speaker, strategist, and firm believer 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:31.079 that connections is the currency of leadership. 00:00:31.660 --> 00:00:35.079 Today's episode dives into something every leader, 00:00:35.219 --> 00:00:38.899 entrepreneur, and changemaker is facing right 00:00:38.899 --> 00:00:42.780 now, the evolving challenges of leadership in 00:00:42.780 --> 00:00:46.719 a rapidly shifting workforce. From employee engagement, 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:51.000 and cultural shifts to remote dynamic and generational 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:54.520 differences. It's no longer just about managing 00:00:54.520 --> 00:00:58.179 people. It's about meaningful connecting with 00:00:58.179 --> 00:01:02.600 them. My guest today brings deep insight into 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:05.840 the modern leadership experience and how intentional 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:09.959 networking can be to unlocking trust, collaboration, 00:01:10.359 --> 00:01:14.200 and long -term impact. If you're leading a team, 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:17.879 growing a company, or building influence in your 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:21.500 space, this conversation will challenge and inspire 00:01:21.500 --> 00:01:26.340 you. Ilya, I want to welcome you to the podcast. 00:01:26.500 --> 00:01:30.060 I want to thank you for your time because you 00:01:30.060 --> 00:01:33.920 have such a vast background. Would you mind introducing 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:36.659 yourself and telling us a little bit about your 00:01:36.659 --> 00:01:40.159 background? Absolutely. I just want to say thank 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:42.599 you. I'm very honored to be part of this podcast. 00:01:43.390 --> 00:01:46.989 And I'm Ilya Jekyll. I'm the founder of Sharpen 00:01:46.989 --> 00:01:50.730 Leadership. Our mission is very simple but powerful. 00:01:51.069 --> 00:01:54.989 We want to equip business professionals, leaders, 00:01:55.349 --> 00:01:59.170 and entrepreneurs with the skills, the tools, 00:01:59.230 --> 00:02:01.870 and the insights so that they can become great 00:02:01.870 --> 00:02:05.870 leaders regardless of their job title. I have 00:02:05.870 --> 00:02:09.129 over 20 years experience in the pharmaceutical 00:02:09.129 --> 00:02:13.930 and healthcare industry. So my experience is 00:02:13.930 --> 00:02:17.610 in business, leadership, and marketing. I'm also, 00:02:17.689 --> 00:02:20.210 besides being a trainer, I'm also a speaker. 00:02:20.490 --> 00:02:24.830 I like to bring my experience to conferences 00:02:24.830 --> 00:02:28.270 and events, sharing stories that can empower 00:02:28.270 --> 00:02:32.930 the audience. So that's in the nutshell, my background. 00:02:33.409 --> 00:02:37.050 Thank you for that. And let's just dive right 00:02:37.050 --> 00:02:41.319 into the questions. And first question. What 00:02:41.319 --> 00:02:44.860 are the most pressing challenges leaders face 00:02:44.860 --> 00:02:50.159 in today's rapidly changing workplace? There 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:55.860 are multiple factors that are impacting leaders, 00:02:56.020 --> 00:02:59.439 but I'm just going to focus on three challenges 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:02.719 that I'm seeing repeatedly with some of my clients. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:06.520 And the first one is managing highly talented 00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:11.639 teams, okay? It can be both exciting and challenging, 00:03:11.740 --> 00:03:18.259 but especially when team members' expertise surpasses 00:03:18.259 --> 00:03:22.400 sometimes the leader's, it can certainly create 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:26.680 some insecurity in the leader and also make it 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:31.199 more difficult to lead with confidence. Also, 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:34.099 talented individuals, they tend to have higher 00:03:34.099 --> 00:03:37.120 expectations. They are strong. They have strong 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.900 opinions. And they need somebody that can lead 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:45.240 them effectively. And leading these kind of teams, 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:49.860 it requires a balancing act. The leader needs 00:03:49.860 --> 00:03:52.620 to give them guidance, support, but at the same 00:03:52.620 --> 00:03:56.680 time, give them autonomy. The leader in this 00:03:56.680 --> 00:04:01.020 nowadays is mostly like a facilitator where they 00:04:01.020 --> 00:04:04.259 communicate the vision, the expectations, but 00:04:04.259 --> 00:04:06.860 then and the outcomes they want. But then they 00:04:06.860 --> 00:04:10.240 step back and allow the team to take ownership 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:14.199 of their work and the process. And this is important 00:04:14.199 --> 00:04:17.860 because this type of high talented individuals, 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:22.439 they. perform better when they are motivated 00:04:22.439 --> 00:04:26.459 and they embrace then collaboration instead of 00:04:26.459 --> 00:04:29.740 competing and they bring their best to the table 00:04:29.740 --> 00:04:33.300 when you give them that autonomy. The second 00:04:33.300 --> 00:04:36.620 I will say is the fear of failure, especially 00:04:36.620 --> 00:04:41.199 in high pressure situations that most leaders 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:45.100 experience today. But this is fear of failure, 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:48.420 something that we all going to experience sometime 00:04:48.420 --> 00:04:52.860 in our career is how we respond to that fear 00:04:52.860 --> 00:04:57.800 that will show our true leadership. OK, so fear 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:01.379 can be very paralyzing and detrimental. for the 00:05:01.379 --> 00:05:03.800 leader, for the team, and the organization. So 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:06.040 let me give you an example of how it usually 00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:09.560 tends to show up. Let's say there is a leader 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:13.759 that is leading this multi -million dollar project, 00:05:13.959 --> 00:05:18.160 okay? If the person becomes paralyzed by the 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:22.180 fear, that leader will start trying to micromanage 00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:26.180 every aspect of their project and their team, 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:29.180 which instead is going to be detrimental, right? 00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:33.959 And instead of second guessing, he also heard 00:05:33.959 --> 00:05:38.639 decisions and actions. So on the other hand, 00:05:38.779 --> 00:05:42.399 you have the leader that understands that fear 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:45.759 is a natural part of doing business. And they 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:51.199 reframe that fear into opportunities to learn, 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:55.680 to grow, to be resilient. And that's what I will 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:57.839 tell you about the fear of failure. It's how 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:01.060 you respond. The third one, I think, is the most 00:06:01.060 --> 00:06:04.759 challenging of all and is navigating uncertainty. 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:11.439 The best leaders are the ones that will build. 00:06:11.620 --> 00:06:14.779 They understand that ambiguity is part of business 00:06:14.779 --> 00:06:18.040 nowadays. You can never have completely full, 00:06:18.259 --> 00:06:22.639 100 % all the facts, but they build trust and 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:27.069 they rally their team around their vision. so 00:06:27.069 --> 00:06:28.870 they are not following them because they have 00:06:28.870 --> 00:06:31.829 all the answers but they are following them because 00:06:31.829 --> 00:06:36.110 they believe and they trust that leader and that's 00:06:36.110 --> 00:06:40.189 one of the best ways to navigate the complexity 00:06:40.189 --> 00:06:44.550 in today's business yes very good and you hit 00:06:44.550 --> 00:06:48.829 on so many marks that I speak about between networking 00:06:48.829 --> 00:06:51.649 and leadership and the difference between leadership 00:06:51.649 --> 00:06:55.129 and being a boss. And it just you encompassed 00:06:55.129 --> 00:06:57.230 everything very well. I want to thank you for 00:06:57.230 --> 00:06:59.509 that. Let's change this around a little bit. 00:06:59.629 --> 00:07:03.209 How has the shift to remote work affected leadership 00:07:03.209 --> 00:07:07.769 strategies and team dynamics? Can you repeat 00:07:07.769 --> 00:07:11.410 that question? How has the shift to remote work 00:07:11.410 --> 00:07:15.089 affected leadership strategies and team dynamics? 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:24.259 How the shift from working in an office to remote 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:28.360 and how it affected the leadership and the team 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:31.639 dynamics itself. Oh, yes. It's absolutely, it 00:07:31.639 --> 00:07:36.620 has changed because before everybody was in one 00:07:36.620 --> 00:07:40.220 place. Now the leader is completely different. 00:07:40.259 --> 00:07:42.399 The leader has to understand that they have to 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:45.180 trust those people or that. They are accountable. 00:07:45.379 --> 00:07:47.319 They have to be accountable for what they do 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:50.279 in their own space at a home where they are working. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:54.139 So it modernized everything like right now what 00:07:54.139 --> 00:07:58.160 we're doing in Zoom. We used to use Zoom for 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.720 certain meetings, but now you can see that Zoom 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:04.439 is done for everything. We can have chats and 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:07.680 people in different rooms. And so everything 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:12.519 is being modernized. I believe that. Just working 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:16.800 from home, it can have some benefits, but also 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:21.639 can be detrimental to that team dynamics. Do 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:27.879 you believe that a team should get together face 00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:31.500 -to -face once a week, once a month, once a quarter, 00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:34.710 something like that? You know, that's hard to 00:08:34.710 --> 00:08:36.929 tell because it depends the team, it depends 00:08:36.929 --> 00:08:39.889 the manager. But I think some face -to -face 00:08:39.889 --> 00:08:43.330 interaction is important to continue to build 00:08:43.330 --> 00:08:48.289 that collaboration and that relationships they 00:08:48.289 --> 00:08:53.330 have. You also know this. When you do an event 00:08:53.330 --> 00:08:56.789 face -to -face with people, it's completely different 00:08:56.789 --> 00:09:00.230 from when you do one through Zoom. The interactions 00:09:00.230 --> 00:09:03.850 are different. So, yes, I think that human touch 00:09:03.850 --> 00:09:09.769 is important. Yeah, exactly. That's what I talk 00:09:09.769 --> 00:09:12.669 about when I go on the road, because you need 00:09:12.669 --> 00:09:15.330 the vibe of the person. You need the vibe of 00:09:15.330 --> 00:09:18.029 the room. You get a whole different feeling than 00:09:18.029 --> 00:09:20.460 when you're just... having a Zoom conference. 00:09:20.860 --> 00:09:24.759 Okay, but what innovative networking approaches 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:28.779 are leaders using to boost employee engagement 00:09:28.779 --> 00:09:33.500 and retention? Some of the tips that I can tell 00:09:33.500 --> 00:09:37.620 you about networking is most of these leaders, 00:09:37.940 --> 00:09:42.679 they not only do things and dynamics inside the 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:46.360 workplace, but also in a more relaxed environment, 00:09:46.860 --> 00:09:52.919 okay? But for me, networking is investing in 00:09:52.919 --> 00:09:56.059 the future of your business and your career. 00:09:56.419 --> 00:10:00.399 It really shifts the trajectory of a business 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:05.299 and a career. And for me, it's very important. 00:10:05.419 --> 00:10:08.980 And when I was leading some of these teams, for 00:10:08.980 --> 00:10:11.299 me, it was very important that we go outside 00:10:11.299 --> 00:10:13.840 of the workplace. That's when you really get 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:17.120 to know. different people. There are so many 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:19.019 things that sometimes we don't know from the 00:10:19.019 --> 00:10:21.960 people that we are leading. So golf is wonderful. 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.620 They do a lot of golf. They do a lot of boot 00:10:24.620 --> 00:10:28.679 camps. And inside the work is when you do meetings, 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:31.419 I think the leaders that are very effective are 00:10:31.419 --> 00:10:35.500 the ones that talk less and listen more. Very 00:10:35.500 --> 00:10:39.639 good. Yes. I believe that as well. How are leaders 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:44.740 leveraging diverse networks? to create more inclusive 00:10:44.740 --> 00:10:48.519 work environments? That's a hard one to answer. 00:10:49.059 --> 00:10:52.720 I think one of the things to be inclusive, okay, 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:57.440 to especially when you're making very high profile 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:00.519 decisions, it's not just about collecting data, 00:11:00.700 --> 00:11:04.159 but if you have a team that is diverse, they 00:11:04.159 --> 00:11:08.100 can bring in. And when I say diverse, I said 00:11:08.100 --> 00:11:13.179 not just of race, but I think experience. And 00:11:13.179 --> 00:11:15.220 everybody have different experience, different 00:11:15.220 --> 00:11:17.519 expertise. And that's what I'm talking about, 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:22.139 bringing diversity. But when you as a leader 00:11:22.139 --> 00:11:26.240 need to make a decision, you should bring your 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:29.700 team to brainstorm with you to bring their ideas 00:11:29.700 --> 00:11:33.120 and share their perspective. Because then even 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:35.799 though they are not making the decision, you're 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:39.360 giving a better perspective to that leader. And 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:41.799 those are great leaders when they are able to 00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:46.320 include the diversity in their team. I believe 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:50.080 that. And I believe it's more effective when 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:52.360 you're doing it in person rather than through 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:55.360 Zoom. Because there's no other distractions. 00:11:55.620 --> 00:11:57.720 There's nothing else. You can just concentrate 00:11:57.720 --> 00:12:01.059 on work. But that was a very good answer. Let's 00:12:01.059 --> 00:12:04.679 go to a crisis management question. Can you share 00:12:04.679 --> 00:12:08.379 an example of how effective networking helped 00:12:08.379 --> 00:12:13.340 you navigate a leadership crisis? Wow, that's 00:12:13.340 --> 00:12:17.240 a good one. For example, when you're navigating, 00:12:17.740 --> 00:12:20.240 wanting to keep, let's say, wanting to keep your 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:24.360 team motivated during a disruption, a big disruption 00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:30.259 could be layoff. It can be a merger, okay? So 00:12:30.259 --> 00:12:34.000 what these... leaders that are very effective 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:39.399 is that they're very transparent they they meet 00:12:39.399 --> 00:12:42.080 with their team they're very transparent to what 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:45.139 is happening yes there is a reorganization yes 00:12:45.139 --> 00:12:49.500 there is a layoff but they know they have them 00:12:49.500 --> 00:12:52.899 they are The ones that you can tell right away 00:12:52.899 --> 00:12:56.360 because they believe and they focus on the human 00:12:56.360 --> 00:13:00.460 side of business. They focus on their team, okay? 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:03.879 And those leaders, they open the channels of 00:13:03.879 --> 00:13:06.500 communication with their team. They are able 00:13:06.500 --> 00:13:08.899 and they are empowered to bring their concerns. 00:13:09.100 --> 00:13:14.659 But at the same time, they redirect them to move 00:13:14.659 --> 00:13:18.860 forward. And to keep them motivated and focused 00:13:18.860 --> 00:13:22.279 on what they can control. Because there are certain 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:24.980 things that nobody can control, and especially 00:13:24.980 --> 00:13:30.100 in a layoff and in the organization. But these 00:13:30.100 --> 00:13:33.159 kind of leaders, they are wonderful at understanding 00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:37.480 the concern, be transparent with them, and guide 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:43.120 them. Good, very good. How important is mentorship? 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:47.440 in developing future leaders and how can networking 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:52.960 facilitate this? I believe in mentorship. I personally 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:58.460 have a couple of different mentors that actually 00:13:58.460 --> 00:14:04.179 their help was incredible and how they open opportunities 00:14:04.179 --> 00:14:07.899 was something that I could have never. imagine 00:14:07.899 --> 00:14:10.879 without them. Your mentors are the ones that 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:14.320 if they are part of the organization or outside, 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:17.039 they can give you that perspective. They are 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:20.179 the ones that advocate for you when you are not 00:14:20.179 --> 00:14:23.259 in the room with the decision makers. Also, they 00:14:23.259 --> 00:14:26.019 are a great resource because what I'm seeing 00:14:26.019 --> 00:14:32.139 is a lot of the first -time leaders that sometimes 00:14:32.139 --> 00:14:35.100 they have questions and they don't know exactly 00:14:35.820 --> 00:14:38.620 what to do, but they don't want anybody to know 00:14:38.620 --> 00:14:42.539 because they don't want to look like they don't 00:14:42.539 --> 00:14:46.080 have it together. So mentorship plays an important 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:50.080 role in that. One thing I've been developing 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:54.639 is that once or twice a year, and I do this sometimes 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:57.980 internationally through Zoom, of course, through 00:14:57.980 --> 00:15:02.019 Zoom, but I gather people that are pretty much 00:15:02.019 --> 00:15:05.990 at the same level of experience. And they have 00:15:05.990 --> 00:15:08.830 to sign a contract that whatever is discussed 00:15:08.830 --> 00:15:13.370 in there stays there. So these leaders can bring 00:15:13.370 --> 00:15:16.629 their concerns, their challenges, their different 00:15:16.629 --> 00:15:20.029 situations with people that are in the same, 00:15:20.149 --> 00:15:23.610 have the same amount of experience. And they 00:15:23.610 --> 00:15:27.529 can brainstorm together. And some of them already 00:15:27.529 --> 00:15:29.830 have passed through that kind of situation. They 00:15:29.830 --> 00:15:35.100 can facilitate insight. So it's very, it's amazing 00:15:35.100 --> 00:15:39.019 to see the weight of their shoulder coming off 00:15:39.019 --> 00:15:42.899 and the insight and the tools that they get from 00:15:42.899 --> 00:15:45.879 that. And that when they finish that mentorship, 00:15:46.139 --> 00:15:49.820 they can go back and apply what they have learned 00:15:49.820 --> 00:15:53.639 in their situation. Because these are situations 00:15:53.639 --> 00:15:57.820 that hit home. For them, because it mirrors some 00:15:57.820 --> 00:16:00.299 of the things, situations and challenges that 00:16:00.299 --> 00:16:02.720 they are facing on the job and in their role. 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:06.600 That's exactly correct. And one thing you have 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:09.580 to realize is that no matter what part of the 00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:14.080 spectrum you're in, it's like I coach, I have 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:19.000 people that I coach, I mentor, but I have a mentor 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:22.799 as well. So it keeps going up the chain. So I 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:26.580 may have the answers for. my people but i still 00:16:26.580 --> 00:16:30.159 have questions for my mentor so it goes it works 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:34.139 both ways and it's very much needed because i 00:16:34.139 --> 00:16:37.480 think that people can't get ahead of where they 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:42.000 are without their mentors absolutely we all don't 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:43.980 have all the answers and the person that tell 00:16:43.980 --> 00:16:46.879 you they have them all oh because i don't think 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:48.960 there is one that can tell you they have all 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:52.429 the answers so yes I have had throughout my career 00:16:52.429 --> 00:16:56.029 different mentors and they have been critical 00:16:56.029 --> 00:17:00.590 for my continue to advance in my career and also 00:17:00.590 --> 00:17:04.829 as a professional. Yes, yes, absolutely, absolutely. 00:17:05.430 --> 00:17:10.150 How is technology changing the way leaders network 00:17:10.150 --> 00:17:13.329 and build relationships within their organizations? 00:17:15.049 --> 00:17:19.769 That's a difficult one to answer, but... For 00:17:19.769 --> 00:17:24.170 example, we need to keep with the times, okay? 00:17:24.609 --> 00:17:28.329 Because if a leader is not keeping with the times 00:17:28.329 --> 00:17:31.230 and understanding, technology is changing so 00:17:31.230 --> 00:17:35.789 fast. Look right now with AI. AI is not just 00:17:35.789 --> 00:17:40.410 for typing and retyping, it's for videos. It 00:17:40.410 --> 00:17:45.529 does everything for you. So there are great benefits 00:17:45.529 --> 00:17:48.170 to that, and there might be some things that... 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:52.720 you have to be mindful of. I, for myself, try 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:56.880 to keep with the technology, okay? Especially 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:00.519 for your teams. If you have teams that are in 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:03.500 one space, that's a little bit different. But 00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:06.460 when you have teams that have hybrid jobs that 00:18:06.460 --> 00:18:09.720 they were most of the time either at home and 00:18:09.720 --> 00:18:11.779 only a few days out of the thing, you need to 00:18:11.779 --> 00:18:14.940 have the technology to be able to communicate 00:18:14.940 --> 00:18:19.299 the projects. For everybody to, if they are doing 00:18:19.299 --> 00:18:22.000 one project, but everybody has a different part 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:24.279 of the project, they have to have the technology 00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:28.539 and the system to everybody to be synchronized. 00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:32.819 One great tool that is Asana, it helps, it's 00:18:32.819 --> 00:18:35.539 a system that helps you to connect with your 00:18:35.539 --> 00:18:38.940 team to see where everybody is in their project. 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:42.200 So it gives you overview. So technology, it can 00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:44.599 be a blessing, but it depends how you use it. 00:18:45.740 --> 00:18:49.900 Absolutely. Very well said, because I truly believe 00:18:49.900 --> 00:18:53.640 that it is a tool in your tool belt. And if you 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:56.660 use it correctly, it will be magnificent. If 00:18:56.660 --> 00:18:59.240 you don't use it correctly, it's like, why bother 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:01.900 having it in the first place? But very well said. 00:19:02.200 --> 00:19:04.140 Let's go a little bit to work -life balance. 00:19:05.480 --> 00:19:08.240 How are leaders addressing work -life balance 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:11.259 issues while maintaining the strong professional 00:19:11.259 --> 00:19:16.440 network? It's like I said, you need to be sensitive 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:19.859 and you need to be focused on the, for me, I 00:19:19.859 --> 00:19:23.680 always focus on the human side of business because 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:28.279 to reach any goals, to reach any results, your 00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:31.819 team, your human employee, your employees come 00:19:31.819 --> 00:19:34.900 first. Without them, there is no business. Okay. 00:19:35.380 --> 00:19:40.059 So to me, I, I, I tried when they comes with 00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:46.839 situations, especially My female leaders, they're 00:19:46.839 --> 00:19:52.279 not only leaders, but they also are moms. And 00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:56.240 sometimes the stress of work and at work, that 00:19:56.240 --> 00:20:00.099 combination can be difficult and very challenging. 00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:06.180 So I try to be empathic, use the emotional intelligence 00:20:06.180 --> 00:20:10.200 and be empathic, putting myself in that person's 00:20:10.200 --> 00:20:13.359 situation and try to listen. But that doesn't 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:17.440 mean that all the time I'm going to agree with 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:21.599 them. Sometimes there are decisions that are 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:27.039 hard decisions that you need to make. But I always 00:20:27.039 --> 00:20:31.299 try to be empathic and try to really listen and 00:20:31.299 --> 00:20:35.059 try to do what I can to help that individual 00:20:35.059 --> 00:20:39.140 so that they can actually balance their work 00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:44.259 with their home. I used to be a business owner, 00:20:44.519 --> 00:20:48.119 pizzerias, restaurants, things like that. And 00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:51.859 I know the value of the employees and you have 00:20:51.859 --> 00:20:55.400 to keep them happy because if they're not happy, 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:58.619 then how can you expect them to make your customers 00:20:58.619 --> 00:21:01.960 happy? But you have to draw that line saying, 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:04.240 look, I understand what you're going through. 00:21:04.299 --> 00:21:07.210 I can give you this little bit of leeway. But 00:21:07.210 --> 00:21:09.250 you have to understand that I have a business 00:21:09.250 --> 00:21:11.589 to run and this has to be done a certain way. 00:21:11.690 --> 00:21:14.089 So you're right. You have to feel where that 00:21:14.089 --> 00:21:17.069 line is, draw it and just see where it goes. 00:21:17.230 --> 00:21:20.789 But again, that was very good. What metrics do 00:21:20.789 --> 00:21:24.250 you use to measure the impact of leadership initiatives 00:21:24.250 --> 00:21:30.130 on workforce productivity and satisfaction? Let's 00:21:30.130 --> 00:21:33.250 say that I trained a group of leaders in our 00:21:33.250 --> 00:21:35.750 organization or even business professionals, 00:21:35.930 --> 00:21:40.680 right? The first thing is we start with a baseline 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:45.980 of how they were doing prior to a training and 00:21:45.980 --> 00:21:49.380 getting new skills or even modifying and gaining 00:21:49.380 --> 00:21:53.839 more insight on the ones that they have. After 00:21:53.839 --> 00:22:00.529 that, we work with the organization to see how 00:22:00.529 --> 00:22:04.670 immediately they were able to apply what they 00:22:04.670 --> 00:22:08.170 learned, and if they are able to make a sustainable 00:22:08.170 --> 00:22:12.069 transformation in their jobs, in their role, 00:22:12.190 --> 00:22:15.450 and affecting their department. And they can 00:22:15.450 --> 00:22:21.509 do that by looking at the collaboration, if the 00:22:21.509 --> 00:22:24.900 collaboration and morale increase. They can look 00:22:24.900 --> 00:22:28.559 at performance by seeing how it has increased 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:32.740 the performance, the innovation also. Because 00:22:32.740 --> 00:22:35.019 one of the main things that most of this organization 00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:38.200 is they are struggling sometimes to innovate. 00:22:38.299 --> 00:22:41.160 How do you get that team motivated to innovate? 00:22:41.539 --> 00:22:44.559 So all these things, once you give them the tool, 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.759 the insight, and a space where they have room 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:51.019 to experiment, learn, and grow, they're able 00:22:51.019 --> 00:22:53.980 to put all that together in their role. And then 00:22:53.980 --> 00:22:56.519 the organization immediately, you can start immediately 00:22:56.519 --> 00:22:59.819 seeing those results. But more than anything, 00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:03.319 what they want is that. sustainable transformation 00:23:03.319 --> 00:23:06.579 because a lot of places they said we have an 00:23:06.579 --> 00:23:10.460 inside training programs but the problem is they 00:23:10.460 --> 00:23:13.539 haven't seen a sustainable transformation with 00:23:13.539 --> 00:23:18.160 us they do because when you immerse these people 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:23.059 in situations that they face on the job but sometimes 00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:26.970 their skills is not there yet, and you need to 00:23:26.970 --> 00:23:30.190 equip them, and you give them tools and insight, 00:23:30.289 --> 00:23:33.410 and now they are able to come back and use what 00:23:33.410 --> 00:23:36.009 they have learned, then that's something that 00:23:36.009 --> 00:23:39.289 is going to be sustainable. Because now they 00:23:39.289 --> 00:23:42.730 learn it. So those are some of the things. And 00:23:42.730 --> 00:23:45.029 of course, there are many tests that you can 00:23:45.029 --> 00:23:48.390 give before and after, metrics that you can give 00:23:48.390 --> 00:23:51.410 before and after, and depending on the organization 00:23:51.410 --> 00:23:54.710 and what they want to use. I hope that answer. 00:23:54.930 --> 00:23:58.109 It really does. It really does. And let's just 00:23:58.109 --> 00:24:01.089 bring this full circle. Let's talk a little bit 00:24:01.089 --> 00:24:03.690 about the future. How do you see the role of 00:24:03.690 --> 00:24:06.869 leadership evolving in the next five to 10 years? 00:24:07.109 --> 00:24:10.309 And how will networking play a part in this evolution? 00:24:11.950 --> 00:24:16.230 What I see is the leadership is going to be more 00:24:16.230 --> 00:24:21.250 about becoming shifting and evolving to be facilitators. 00:24:21.959 --> 00:24:26.119 not an influencing, not about the title that 00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:30.579 you have or the authority that you have. Networking 00:24:30.579 --> 00:24:35.680 is huge. Let me give you an example. When I first 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:39.519 started building my career, I became really intentional. 00:24:39.880 --> 00:24:42.180 And this is what I advise to all my clients. 00:24:42.380 --> 00:24:46.420 Be intentional when you are collaborating in 00:24:46.420 --> 00:24:49.240 initiatives and in projects in your organization. 00:24:50.119 --> 00:24:54.019 And not just with your team, but across departments. 00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:57.680 Because when you're networking and connecting 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:00.539 with people of different departments, your visibility 00:25:00.539 --> 00:25:06.400 increases. Your access to the leadership and 00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:09.440 the decision to make it is all of a sudden expanded. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:14.259 So when a promotion is coming up, when you... 00:25:15.309 --> 00:25:18.930 A new opportunity is rising. Guess what? Those 00:25:18.930 --> 00:25:22.990 that have more visibility and showing their leadership 00:25:22.990 --> 00:25:27.190 are the ones that come top to mind, right? They 00:25:27.190 --> 00:25:30.170 are the ones. And in networking, that is gold. 00:25:30.609 --> 00:25:35.130 Because you're the one that's going to have access 00:25:35.130 --> 00:25:40.910 to opportunities, access to resources, and everybody 00:25:40.910 --> 00:25:46.039 started to see you differently. So networking 00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:50.279 is huge for building a career, as well as launching 00:25:50.279 --> 00:25:54.240 and expanding your business. There was a time 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:58.059 that I moved from California to Illinois, right? 00:25:58.339 --> 00:26:02.099 So I knew I had great, solid experience and a 00:26:02.099 --> 00:26:05.079 wonderful resume, but I knew it wasn't enough 00:26:05.079 --> 00:26:12.000 for me to move to a new state just by going to 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:16.420 maybe Lincoln. and sending some requests, right? 00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:19.960 Connecting requests blindly and then expecting 00:26:19.960 --> 00:26:23.380 that that was going to work. It is very daunting 00:26:23.380 --> 00:26:26.599 and it's ineffective. So what I did, I rallied 00:26:26.599 --> 00:26:30.079 the network that I have in California and I have 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:32.799 very open conversations to them. And I told them, 00:26:32.839 --> 00:26:36.539 hey, I want to move to Illinois and these are 00:26:36.539 --> 00:26:38.759 my aspirations and the two industries that I 00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:42.400 was interested. What happened is I asked also 00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:46.720 one question, and it's who do you know in Illinois 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:51.460 that I should meet? That conversation opened 00:26:51.460 --> 00:26:54.960 access to doors that I could have never done 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:59.839 alone. It was incredible. I have warm introductions 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:04.940 to business professionals in Illinois, and that 00:27:04.940 --> 00:27:10.960 actually turned into direct job offers. That's 00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:14.039 how powerful your network is. That's how powerful 00:27:14.039 --> 00:27:17.259 it is. That's the name of the game. The networking 00:27:17.259 --> 00:27:21.079 is gold. It's your go -to. It's your everything. 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:25.420 I believe that networking is the basis of every 00:27:25.420 --> 00:27:30.220 business. Absolutely. Any business that they 00:27:30.220 --> 00:27:32.539 want to, any person that wants to launch a business, 00:27:32.700 --> 00:27:36.460 expand a business, they need to understand that 00:27:36.460 --> 00:27:41.019 it's more than selling. OK, focus on connecting 00:27:41.019 --> 00:27:44.819 and building those relationships with your customer, 00:27:44.980 --> 00:27:48.079 your vendors, your community, because when it's 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:52.440 time to buy a service or a product, they only 00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:55.140 do it. People only do it with people they trust 00:27:55.140 --> 00:27:59.099 and who have been connected to. They feel connected. 00:27:59.099 --> 00:28:02.400 If they know you, if they like you and trust 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:05.660 you, then they'll do business with you. So that's 00:28:05.660 --> 00:28:09.380 the mantra. of networking. Ilya, I have to tell 00:28:09.380 --> 00:28:12.160 you, this was a great conversation. You're a 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:16.400 great guest. And if anybody wants to get hold 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:18.759 of you, whether they want to be coached, ask 00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:21.319 a question, or see what they can do with their 00:28:21.319 --> 00:28:24.599 job, how can they reach you? Sure. They can go 00:28:24.599 --> 00:28:28.779 to my website, Sharpen Leadership, or they can 00:28:28.779 --> 00:28:34.819 go to my LinkedIn profile, Ilya Jacob, J -A -K 00:28:34.819 --> 00:28:39.250 -E -L. And they can connect with me. Very good. 00:28:39.509 --> 00:28:42.130 Outstanding. So thank you so very much for coming 00:28:42.130 --> 00:28:45.170 on the podcast today. Thank you for having me. 00:28:46.009 --> 00:28:49.190 Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere. Let 00:28:49.190 --> 00:28:51.369 me just read a few of our sponsors that we have. 00:28:52.210 --> 00:28:54.769 Struggling to reach success? Maybe it's time 00:28:54.769 --> 00:28:58.859 to quit. 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Revved 00:29:40.140 --> 00:29:43.339 Up Kids is on a mission to protect children and 00:29:43.339 --> 00:29:47.180 teens from sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. 00:29:47.420 --> 00:29:50.079 They provide prevention training programs for 00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:53.750 children. teens, and adults. To learn more, go 00:29:53.750 --> 00:29:58.609 to revvedupkids .org. That's R -E -V -V -E -D 00:29:58.609 --> 00:30:05.789 -U -P -K -I -D -S .org. Well, that's a wrap, 00:30:05.869 --> 00:30:08.730 folks. A huge thank you to our special guests 00:30:08.730 --> 00:30:12.069 for sharing such incredible insights today. And 00:30:12.069 --> 00:30:15.450 of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing 00:30:15.450 --> 00:30:18.390 listeners, for tuning in and spending your time 00:30:18.390 --> 00:30:22.269 with us. Remember, networking isn't about being 00:30:22.269 --> 00:30:25.609 perfect. It's about being present. So take what 00:30:25.609 --> 00:30:28.210 you've learned today, get out there, and make 00:30:28.210 --> 00:30:31.190 some meaningful connections. If you enjoyed this 00:30:31.190 --> 00:30:34.170 episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave us 00:30:34.170 --> 00:30:36.789 a review, and share it with someone who could 00:30:36.789 --> 00:30:40.089 use a little networking inspiration. Let's keep 00:30:40.089 --> 00:30:43.809 the conversation going. You can find me on Apple, 00:30:43.930 --> 00:30:48.269 Spotify, YouTube, or my website, Michael. Remember. 00:30:48.829 --> 00:30:52.210 Until next time, keep practicing, keep connecting, 00:30:52.329 --> 00:30:55.509 and keep building those relationships. This is 00:30:55.509 --> 00:30:58.470 Michael A. Foreman signing off. Take care and 00:30:58.470 --> 00:30:59.470 happy networking.