40-Day Series: Thank You Kathy Walker

As I wrote about Shushan yesterday I mentioned how we both worked for the Chief Network Officer at Sprint. Kathy Walker just happened to be said Chief Network Officer. The first time I worked in an organization ran by Kathy was back in the late 90's...in fact, the first time I met Kathy was when I was asked to play a singing fish over the building intercom system for her as a practical joke. You know....the bass fish that hung on the wall and sang "don't worry, be happy?"...a great way to meet your VP don't you think?

I would work in Kathy's organization's throughout most of my career and always had a great amount of respect for her leadership style. She was that rare woman who could be direct without being a bitch. She was the leader of a male dominated engineering organization and one of the few women leaders in the telecom industry, especially in the technical arena. She never forgot where she came from and was an active alumni of both her undergrad school South Dakota State and her graduate school, University of Missouri-Rolla.

Her passion was teaching, coaching and mentoring others. She was the driver behind Sprint's college recruiting program and between you and I, that program would never have been as successful as it was if it wasn't for her vision and push. Her schedule was insane but she always saved her Saturday's for mentoring sessions. I'm sure she turned some people down but in the year and a half I worked for her if someone asked for time with her she always accepted. As a C-level officer in a 60K person organization you would think she would be intimidating but she went out of her way to make you comfortable.

I had the pleasure and honor of sitting with her on multiple occassions and being the recipient of her coaching. Her world could be on the verge of being turned upside down and yet when I entered her office and the door closed, she made me feel as if she had all the time in the world and would give me complete focus. She didn't rush the conversation and was brilliant in how she would lead you to the lesson while helping you find your confidence along the way.

In my very first blog post I mentioned a quote that I learned from Kathy..."confidence isn't granted by others, it comes from within." I lean on this lesson daily, especially as I start a new company and fight through the fears and doubts that come when doing something I have never done before. I also remember how impressive it was to see Kathy stay true to herself even during the most stressful times. She wasn't afraid to share her own personal experiences and mistakes if she thought it would help someone learn. She was a great example of authentic leadership and I'm thankful to have been one of her followers.

Goldent Nugget: Don't forget where you came from and be willing to lead as your authentic self

40-day Series: Thank You Shushan Aleaqui

Have you ever met someone that after you met them you wondered how you got as far in life as you did without them? This sums up how I think about Shushan Aleaqui. Talk about a person who has an amazing life story....she was born in Armenia. Her family came to the United States to escape the tumultuous state of affairs and give their children a chance at happiness. They didn't just move anywhere they moved to Hollywood, CA....can you imagine?? You don't know any English, you are not familiar with American customs and the first introduction you have to the country is Hollywood?? Wow!

I'm guessing the big time challenges she experienced as a kid left her with always striving for more. She left a successful design career when she decided to try something more technical and started all over again in the telecom industry. She built her way back up and became an executive at Nextel. I met her fairly soon after the Sprint/Nextel merger as she was then working directly for the Chief Network Officer (CNO). My role at that time was as manager with a side gig creating presentations for the CNO so I ended up working with Shushan quite a bit. Little did I know when I met with her that she would open the door to the biggest opportunity I would ever have at Sprint.

Shushan was instrumental in getting me the staff manager job which was an executive development role working for her but directly supporting the CNO. More important than helping me get the job was all that Shushan would teach me in 3 short months before she would leave to take on a new role. I relished the 1-1 time I had with her and would try to everything I could to soak up all the knowledge she was willing to share with me. She was direct, immediate with her feedback and yet gentle when she recognized I was hitting the overload button. She took the time to truly coach me...not just tell me what I wanted to hear or harp on the obvious but honest to goodness coaching. She didn't tell me what I did wrong but would lead me to realize it on my own which really helped me own it. Even when she wasn't purposefully coaching she was still teaching through modeling the most professional behaviors I have ever seen from a business colleague.

She was proof that you could make business personal and still be professional, fact based, to the point and deliver knock-out results. She was willing to share life lessons as well as business knowledge and would point out how they intertwined together. Her education is never-ending as there are things I have just started to experience that make what she taught all the more relevant and applicable. She pointed out to me that to truly coach takes courage as it has to come from within and many are afraid to be so transparent. I would add not only courage but time, patience and authenticity which makes a good coach that much harder to find. I am blessed to have had Shushan as a coach in my life and forever thankful for the friendship we share.

Golden Nugget: Take the time, show the patience and have the courage to be authentic when coaching others.

Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa

40-Day Series: Thank You Victor Alba

If you love anything about Boston then you and Victor would be friends. Victor is a HUGE Boston sports fan. What is even more cool about Victor is he is a rock star soccer player...not just your average club guy, I mean he is GOOD...REALLY GOOD. In addition to his athletic abilities are his brain abilities...the guy is a technical genius, a visionary, a tactical specialist and can communicate the most complex solutions in a simplistic manner to where your Grandma could understand it.

I met Victor when I was on a custom solution sales team. He was a sales engineer (which is a title that completely mis-represents what he brought to the table) for one of the accounts I was assigned to. The account required some creative thinking to meet the demanding requirements set forth by the customer. There are more times than I care to remember where I really felt in over my head. Victor knew exactly what to say to reinforce my confidence and guide me to finding a solution. Little did I know that this was just the beginning of what would become one of my most important relationships in my professional life.

Victor and I stayed in touch after I left sales and started a new job. He became not only a friend but a true and highly valued confidant. I would engage his opinion before any significant decision. His willingness to share, guide, and advise never failed me. He took it upon himself to check in on me from time to time, and he always seemed to know when I needed him the most. Since I have left Sprint we don't talk as much as we used to but I know he is only a phone call/email away and just knowing he is there is a comfort to me.

Golden Nugget: Share your passion and hobbies with your co-workers, you may find a connection that transcends business and leads you to new possibilities in life.

40-Day Series: Thank you Tony Painton

Every now and then in your career you get lucky enough to get assigned a manager that becomes a friend for life. I had recently moved in to the network organization at Sprint when I was told I would be working for Mr. Painton. I had worked with Tony previously but didn't really know him very well. I had mixed feelings when I initially found out he would be my boss as I thought I would be working directly for the person who had hired me.

Tony made me feel at home right away and his team had more a family vibe vs. your typical corporate team. It didn't take long before I felt like I was just one of the family members. There are soooo many stories and golden nuggets I could share but I know you don't have that kind of time. I'll try to sum up his impact with two quick stories.

After only working on his team for a few months Tony told me he was giving me a raise...now keep in mind the corporate world has a set annual cycle for giving people raises so this act was not a commone one. I was completely shocked and so appreciative as my young family really needed a financial boost. What was so unbelievably cool was Tony took it upon himself to initiate the raise...he thought I was under paid and decided to do something about it. Most managers would simply wait for the normal cycle but Tony thought getting me to equal pay right away was the right thing to do. Golden nugget #1 - take care of your team, even if it means going against normal process to do so.

Humor....humor can make the most stress filled situations bearable and almost enjoyable. One of Tony's favorite tales and one of my most embarrassing is the infamous wrong shoe story. My first business trip EVER was with Tony to San Francisco. I had been assigned to work with the lab in Burlingame so we went out to meet them. It was expected to be a tension filled trip as it was very well known that the lab liked their independence and was not thrilled with the notion that HQ was sending a PM to work with them. The morning of the big meeting with the lab director I was getting ready and realized I brought two different shoes. I must have looked through my bag a million times only to find one flat shoe and one high heel shoe. Keep in mind it was 7:00 a.m. so no stores open to go buy a new pair. Mortified I ride the elevator down to the lobby. I ask Tony to look at me and he says I look fine and I say again, LOOK AT ME! and he gives me a look like I am a crazy chick and says, "what? you look fine." I then point to my feet and he tries not to chuckle. I tell him that if we hurry we can get to the meeting and sit down before anyone notices. We succeed with our plan...or so I thought. Tony takes it upon himself to start the meeting with an icebreaker by sharing the fact that I am wearing two different shoes. Everyone has a good laugh and the tension is immediately lessened. Golden nugget #2...never underestimate the power of laughter.

Like I said, I could go on and on with stories and lessons I learned from Tony. A great indication of an awesome manager? Their people will work for them again and again...I worked for Tony on two different occasions...many of the people that work for him now have worked with him in the past. Some have never stopped working for Tony and probably never will if they have a say in it. Just as important is the fact that his teams have a great reputation for delivering and getting things done...the team members that moved on only did so as they were promoted. I will forever be grateful for his mentorship and friendship.

Golden Nuggets: 1) Take care of your team, even if it means breaking the rules from time to time. 2) Laugh the tension away

Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa

40-Day Series: Day 2 - Linda Chappell

For those of you that know me you have probably heard me talk about Linda Chappell oh, about a thousand times. For those of you that don't you may have heard of someone else talk about her as she has literally touched thousands of lives throughout the last 40 years. She is a thought leader in the cheerleading industry and was one of the innovators of the National Federation Safety Rules back in the 80's when it was apparent that schools needed to insititute practices to protect their cheerleaders who had moved from pretty girls in skirts to real athletes. Linda was also owner and president of Dynamic Cheerleaders Association from 1972-1993 and hired me in to my dream job right after high school.

A little background to help put her influence on me into perspective....I started going to Linda's DCA camps the summer before my 8th grade year. I would go on to attend 5 years of camps as a "beam" (Linda's nickname for campers as she thought of each one as a sunbeam radiating light). Her camps were different than her competitors as she focused on building people through cheerleading, squad unity, and leadership. We learned cheers, dances, and stunts like the others but they were secondary to her strong desire to help girls become strong teammates and ambitious leaders.

Working for DCA was an absolute dream come true...it really was all I thought about doing post high school. I had the pleasure of being on staff for 2 years and then the honor of serving as camp director my last year. Have you ever read the book, "All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindegarten?", well all I ever needed to know I learned from Linda and my fellow colleagues at DCA. She taught me how to manage budgets, cash flows, and retail sales, deal with crisis management (emergency trips to hospital rooms), handle irate customers (ever met a cheerleading mom whose daughter didn't win?), and lead negotiations (campus rules and contracts) ...all at the ripe old age of 20. I learned the importance of team building as we traveled in a van for 9 weeks back and forth across the country with people I had just met (we were Road Rules before MTV even had the concept). We were responsible for hundreds of pre-teen and teen-age girls at every camp...not just teaching them and serving as role models but also from keeping them away from the football camp boys who always seemed to be having camp at the same time. We learned to not just function but thrive on 2 hours of sleep a night.

I think it is fair to say that most of us who worked for Linda took for granted what we were learning at the time. She didn't hesitate to put her company in our hands and we were just a bunch of college kids. I have never seen anyone who truly empowered people to excel more than she did. Her legacy is that everyone who ever worked at DCA or attended a DCA camp has an immediate bond of family love, even if you have never met before. Her success is marked by the thousands of people who have found success because of what she taught them. Her permanent imprint is proven as everyone whoever attended a camp can still sing and sign the words to "You Are My Friend" (the song that closed camp each night).

I could go on and on about Linda Chappell as she was the queen of making business personal and her impact on me and so many others is proof of the power that comes from doing so.

Golden Nuggett: Don't be afraid to give the rookie a chance to make a difference. Simply believe in them, encourage them, help them find their way from time to time and then watch them grow as they take your company to new heights.

Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa

40 Day Series - Day 1: Annette Loos

I was somewhat inspired by Annette Loos to start this series. I first worked with Annette back in the late 90s at Sprint. I remember being a newbie PM and her willingness to guide and advise me. She had the experience and seniority but always made me feel as if I was an equal. Our paths would cross at various times over the next decade....I don't believe we ever really worked for the same manager and yet I always felt like I was part of her team.

I always admired the gentle approach Annette used with her project teams, leading them to deliver on-time and within budget. She would use her amazing project management skills vs. a heavy hand or threats. She was comfortable managing up, down and across the organization. Above all of these wonderful things, Annette was gracious and knew how to make people feel special.

When I decided to leave Sprint and sent my goodbye note, Annette was one of the very first people to respond. Her words describing how she felt about me moved me more than any other note I received. I had no idea I had made that kind of impact and to say she inspired a confidence I had never felt before would be an under statement. She taught me a lesson in how one simple note can make all the difference. I will forever be grateful for her kind and giving words.

The golden nugget? Don't assume people know when they do good work or are making a difference because more than likely they don't. Taking a few minutes to share a note of your observations can inspire a lifetime of confidence.

40-Day Series - Thanking Those Who Made Business Personal

The last month has been a whirlwind of activity...exciting times indeed! The new company is starting to flourish, quality time was spent with the family and quite a few fun events took place celebrating with friends. With so much going on I haven't had much time to write. I have definitely missed it. The last few weeks I have had various conversations that have triggered a 40-day series I plan to write starting with this post. To provide some context as to how I came up with the series title I thought I would share what led me to the 40-day series concept in the first place.

First, I had a conversation with my neighbor earlier this week regarding Lent. For most of those who honor lent they give something up... an effort to honor Jesus's sacrifice I believe. However, I wonder if Jesus wouldn't find it more meaningful for his followers to give during this time of year than give up. I often think about what Christianity means to me and "giving" definitely plays a major part. What would the world be like if every Christian (or even better every person) dedicated them self to some kind of giving every day for the next 40 days? This led me to my second thought....

So, as I began to think about the concept of giving vs. giving up for Lent I started to evaluate what I would give. Considering I am starting a new company I am not in a position to give a lot financially. Kids are keeping us pretty busy running them around preparing for spring sports so committing to volunteering doesn't really work either. I then think about this blog and the possibilities it provides me to "give." This led me to my third thought.....

I have been in quite a few discussions with colleagues and thought leaders in the social media industry as to why tools like Facebook and Twitter are so powerful. I speculate that for many social media is the intersection of business meeting personal or vice versa. I have always held the belief that many in business are successful because they make business personal....they invest all they have in to what they do, their business is their life's passion and they are willing to share to help others get better. This triggered me to think about the people who have inspired me throughout my career and how their impact was made possible by their personal investment and willingness to give. I then think about how so often in our lives we don't take the time to give thanks and let people know how they made a difference in our life. Think about how many times you have heard, "I should have told them what they meant to me" or the amazing feeling you felt when someone took the time to thank you.

These culmination of thoughts has led me to how I am going to "give" this Lent season. I am going to post daily about someone who made business personal by teaching me, helping me, inspiring me and/or leading me. I will end the post with the golden nugget I took away in hopes that you too will be impacted. At the end of Lent I will create a post that will incorporate all the golden nuggets I have shared throughout the series. Hopefully this will provide a one stop shop reference that maybe you will share with others someday.

My objective is to "give" thanks, "give" knowledge and "give" you the ability to "give" to others. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I have enjoyed others helping me learn to get better. :)

Be who you are and learn to be better,
Lisa