April 15, 2025 • 29 mins
Today’s discourse centers on the transformative essence of leadership in our contemporary landscape, as elucidated by the esteemed Morag Barrett. With her extensive experience collaborating with over 15,000 leaders across diverse cultures, she imparts invaluable strategies for cultivating trust and fostering collaboration within teams. The crux of our conversation posits that while the foundational principles of leadership remain steadfast, the context has evolved dramatically, necessitating a more nuanced approach to engagement in an increasingly technology-driven environment. Morag articulates the importance of slowing down to forge genuine connections amidst the rapid pace of modern communication, emphasizing that authentic leadership hinges on nurturing the human element within our professional relationships. As we delve deeper, we explore how leaders can inspire their teams to not only achieve exceptional results but also create a culture that values every individual's contributions and fosters collective success.
This podcast episode features a profound exploration of contemporary leadership, emphasizing the necessity for leaders to cultivate authentic connections within their teams. Morag an esteemed leader and CEO of Sky Team, articulates that while the essence of leadership remains unchanged, the context in which we operate has evolved dramatically due to advancements in technology and shifting workplace dynamics. Central to this discussion is the assertion that effective leadership hinges on understanding the human experience—specifically, the intrinsic desires of individuals to feel valued, heard, and connected. Morag underscores the importance of slowing down to foster genuine relationships, thereby enhancing team cohesion and productivity. Ultimately, this episode serves as a clarion call for leaders to prioritize the cultivation of a supportive and collaborative culture, which in turn catalyzes exceptional results and fosters a sense of belonging among team members.
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(00:56):
Well, hello everybody andwelcome to another episode of the
Unstoppable LeadershipSpotlight podcast. I am your host,
Jaclyn Strominger, and we hearfrom amazing leaders and their game
changing insights to help makeyou a better leader. And today I
have the absolute pleasure ofwelcoming on Mona Bavar was like
(01:19):
messing up your last name, butshe's awesome. So Morag Barrett has
been an amazing and is anamazing leader. She has partnered
also with over 15,000 leadersand teams from more than 20 countries,
empowering them to develop theskills they need to build trust,
foster collaboration andachieve outstanding results. We all
(01:43):
want better results. And asthe CEO of the sky team and the author
of three award winning books,her mission is to help executives
and teams create cultures ofconnections that break through the
barriers and hold that breakthrough the barriers and hold them
back. Welcome to the show.This is a topic so leaders, listeners,
(02:07):
you are going to know rightnow how to create not just a badass
team, but a badass team thatis going to help you have greater
revenue. So welcome.
Welcome. Let's do this. Itsounds so exciting.
So being a leader,particularly today, is very different
(02:35):
than it was yesterday. And Ifeel like I'm thinking about, you're
gonna think I just looked at apost from somebody and it was like
Skippy Peanut Butter back inthe 60s and 70s to Skippy peanut
Butter now. Same peanutbutter, but different guts on the
inside, actually. So I'd loveto hear because you have had great
(02:57):
experience. How are you seeingleadership today versus yesterday?
Well, that's a great question.And as I think about it, actually,
I think the good news is thatleadership in of itself hasn't changed.
I mean, if you think abouteach of us, think about why we do
(03:20):
what we do. We do it and we goto work. Yes. To pay bills. Okay,
that's table stakes. We'lltake that off the equation. But there
are really three things thatdrive me. I guess drive you, Jaclyn,
and drive the people who arewatching and listening to this episode.
One is we want to do a goodjob. We want to feel like we're being
(03:44):
set up for success and that wehave the tools and equipment needed
to do a good job. Nobody getsup in the morning going, can I really
mess up today? So we want todo our best, but we also want to
feel like our opinion, ourvoice matters, that we're not just
another cog in the machine,that somebody sees us and cares about
(04:11):
us and our success, which thenleads to that third element. Oh,
we get balloons. Thirdelement. You see, it's Worth celebrating
if you're gonna do it. Well,if you're listening, what you couldn't
see was on zoom. We just gotballoons. So it's do a good job to
feel like our. That we matter,that our voice is heard, and there
(04:34):
go the balloons again. Andthen third is that we belong. That
there is a community, thatthere is a team of people, that there
is at least one, in Sky Teamparlance, friend at work, an ally
that I can turn to if I'mhaving an off day. And that I believe
is the same whether you'retalking about Skippy peanut butter
(04:56):
Times in the 60s or here weare today in 2025. Now, what has
shifted, though, is thecontext in which we are leading and
participating in the teamsthat we're working with because we
now have so much moretechnology at our fingertips. We're
working in different ways,we're working in different locations,
(05:18):
we're working across time andgeography. And that, I think, is
where the friction and the rub arises.
You know, I. I think I lovewhat you just said, and it's true.
I think, you know, becausethere is so much technology and there
is so much that's being thrownat us that in some ways, you know,
(05:39):
there. There is that greaterfriction, that some way we're all
supposed to be workingsmarter, not harder, with all the
technology, but actuality, itnot always the case. And as a leader,
we have to kind of steer thepath, right, and figure out where
(05:59):
the people within our fold andour team and the people that we're
leading, whether we're the CEOor of 5 or the CEO of 5000, we have
to know people's path and whatthey want. And you might like technology
and I might not. So let's kindof figure out how to divide and conquer
that, right? And. But in thatsame. Like, how do you think a leader
(06:23):
can help somebody today? Like,make that happen, like, really get
to know. Because there is somuch being thrown at us and so much
technology and so many thingsto learn. What's a leader to do to
help channel it in the rightdirection so we're not all feeling
right.
So many threads I want tounpick with that. So the thing that
(06:47):
we talk about here at SkyTeam, and we share in both of our
books, cultivate the power ofwinning relationships and you, me,
we, why we All Need a Friendat Work and how to show up as one,
is that technology gives usthe illusion of connection. Illusion
of connection. Because, let'sface it, we are all tethered to the
(07:09):
endless stream on oursmartphones, our computers, to the
Google Hangout Zoom Meetmeetings, or the Slack Messages or
the WhatsApp messages that wecannot get away from it. And I'm
sure that everybody listeningto this conversation can recognize
that they have sat through oneof those Zoom Google Hangout Meet
(07:34):
meetings like I have and fakeperky their way through it. We've
put on the smile, we've noddedand gone, yes, Jaclyn, that's what
we're going to do next. Yep, Iknow what I'm going to do. We hang
up and we go, I have no idea.That is the stupidest idea ever.
And you may never know. Sowhat can we do? As leaders, we need
(07:59):
to slow down in order to gofast. And it sounds cliched, but
I love that. Oh, you do? Oh,see, like, we're. We're like twins.
Here's what happens. This iswhat I've seen and I've caught myself
doing. This is on Zoom. Youget onto a call, and you might be
three seconds late, and firstout of our mouths is, I'm sorry I'm
(08:22):
late, Jaclyn. Sorry I'm late.Now, remember, back into B.C. before
COVID when we worked in thesame location, you might roll into
a meeting room five or 10minutes late because you stopped
at the restroom. Heaven forbidyou have a restroom break at. But
you stop at the restroom, yougrab a cup of coffee, somebody in
the corridor goes, oh, do youhave a minute? And you'll say, yeah,
(08:44):
I'm on my way into thatmeeting. But of course. And then
we start the meeting, andnobody really ever mentioned, hey,
you're five minutes late.There was an acceptable passing time
and technology. I think whathappens is the Zoom Room opens and
we're straight down to, so,what are you doing? Where are you?
On the project? And slowingdown is to allow space for the. How
(09:07):
are you doing? What's happenedsince I last saw you? Here's what's
happening in the world. Didyou see the news? Or here's what's
happening elsewhere in theteam. Okay, now let's talk about
the project and our reason forgetting together. So technology is
both the boon and the bane ofleaders and leadership and team.
And team ship. And unlesswe're being thoughtful and deliberate,
(09:31):
I think we're not using it toits best advantage.
So there's a. I love what youjust said, and there's a couple things
that have just come to mymind. So, first of all, obviously,
as I shared, I. I say that alot. Like, we do need to slow down
to go faster because we haveto put in some of those systems.
And there's also something tobe said about walking into or getting.
(09:55):
When I say walking in, likegetting onto a call. And if the first
thing out of your mouth issorry, it changes the dynamic of
how people look and listen toyou. The person who's just said sorry.
So I actually am a bigproponent and I try to tell my kids
this all the time. Take theword sorry out of your vocabulary,
(10:20):
because a lot of we don't useit properly. Like if I walk into
the room, if I get to. IntoZoom late and I'm three minutes late,
sorry, I haven't hurt you. Ihaven't done anything. So is it the
right word? Right. So that'ssort of like one thing, I guess.
Like, I was like, let's alltake the word sorry and only use
(10:42):
it for what we are truly sorry for.
Right.
Like if I've hurt somebody'sfeelings. Right. But what you also
said about coming on, like,right before we got on, we were talking
ahead of time. Right. And thenboth, you know, before I start, you
know, anything, we have that,for lack of better word, the mission
(11:05):
statement of the podcast. AndI. And I would say one of the things
that, that as a leader, whatI, I would love to see, and I love
your take on this is what ifevery person before whoever is running
the meeting started it withsomething a little slower. That also
(11:27):
was like the mission of thecompany, the mission of the team.
The like, it's almost likethe. The rallying cry and call to
bring people together.
The why we are here. Yeah. Andwhat brings us together. I love that.
I mean, if you think back tothe three things I shared earlier
on, the fact that we all wantto do a good job and feel like we're
(11:48):
contributing to somethingbigger than ourselves, that we are,
that we matter, and that webelong, that all comes to that human
experience. It's not justwidget in, widget out. It is how
we go about delivering thoseresults together that leaves the
legacy. Because I'm sure if Iasked you or anybody on the call,
(12:09):
both two versions of the samequestion, who would you jump at the
chance to work with again? Orwhere? And what was your best job
ever? My guess is that theanswer to both of those questions
are not necessarily rooted inthe metrics. The, oh, well, that
job where I flipped a thousandpizzas, or you don't flip pizzas,
(12:33):
but you can tell I didn't dothat. I was a waitress, but I didn't
flip Pizzas, even when I wascarrying them, would be the good
thing. But we're not reallymeasuring and remembering the metrics,
what we remember and thethousands of leaders who I've asked
that question, who would youjump at the chance to work with?
Again, their memories are allabout how the work or especially
how did that person make mefeel? Did they inspire me to go the
(12:57):
extra mile? Did they take achance on me and see potential before
I saw it in myself? Maybe theygave me the tough feedback that stung
in the moment but helped me tobe a better leader for the future
going forward. So think aboutthat. We are hardwired as humans
to feel first, which is whyyour suggestion of reconnecting with
(13:21):
the why, the purpose, themeaning in the work that we do can
be a powerful way to remindpeople why we chose to join this
organization, join this team,join this project, and then we can
focus on and so what do weneed to do to continue to move that
forward?
Yeah, and I listeners, I wantyou to. When I started this episode,
(13:44):
I shared that you will learnsomething that will help you create
an amazing culture that willcreate greater profits. And what
Morag just said is soimportant. Am I pointing my finger
like my pencil? Because peopleremember how they feel. They remember
(14:08):
the leader that helped them beheard and listened to and also saw
the greatness like within theother person and helped them, you
know, build that up. When wehave leaders who can, who can take
somebody and where you canlook at the people that are in your
fold and on your team andbring out the best of them, be both
(14:32):
positive about where they are,what they're doing and where they
are going, it's going to pay back.
Oh, yes, exponential. I wasworking with an executive team of
eight recently and it wasapparently a relatively new team.
They'd had some changes inleadership, etc. But it was eight
individuals. Individuals andany of us with basic math know that
(14:55):
eight times one equals eight.And that's fine. Maybe you're going
to meet your quotas if youjust do your bit and sit back and
allow others to do their bit.But as I pointed out to them, if
they can accelerate thatjourney to high trust, understanding
where the friction is andremoving it, having the right conversations
(15:16):
at the right time, being ableto be truth seekers and truth speakers,
you know, this is where I getreally excited then you don't just
unlock 8 to the power of or 1.You don't just unlock 8 very smart
individual leaders. You get 8to the power of 8, which is 64 and
think about what we could do.When you talk about creativity and
(15:38):
innovation and speed tomarket, and let's just face it, having
a whole lot of fun, raisingthe bar and learning together, that's
when the magic happens. And ofcourse, you can go bigger than that
because you've got eight tothe power of eight, which is the
leadership team in their ownlittle ivory tower doing their thing.
But once you then factor inthe teams reporting to them, now
(16:00):
you're getting thatexponential catalyst. And how do
you do that? You do it bycreating cultures of connection,
by creating that human link.And that happens right back to our
very first point when we slowdown. It happens in the work, but
it also happens in the momentsbetween the work, in the conversations
(16:21):
that we have. Whether it's,hey, Jaclyn, you don't see myself
today. Are you okay? Or hey,Jaclyn, I just want to let you know
I saw what you and your teamdid last week. Amazing. Keep doing
that. Or just stopping andsaying, hey, Jaclyn, what do you
need from me today in order tohelp you and your team to succeed?
When we show curiosity, whenwe focus on the human element, anything
(16:45):
and everything is possible.And I've seen it happen and I've
lived it.
Yeah, it's, you know, it's sotrue. I'm getting goosebumps.
Goosebumps.
Because it's, it's what makes,it makes, it's what makes great companies
great and great leaders greator great teams great. Because they
bring that, bring that out.And, and again, if. If there's one
(17:08):
thing that you take from this,find how you can personally connect
with the people on your teamto help them see the best in themselves
and make people feel heard andcreate the power of people working
together and not thisfighting. It's not about. And I love
(17:33):
the title of your book, you,Me, we, because it is so true. It's
not about you, it's about theteam. It's about the we and how we
can work together. It is so,so important and that.
The premise of that book is sopowerful because as we know, Gallup
has been researchingengagement and high performing teams,
(17:54):
et cetera, for decades. Andthey ask consistently, do I have
a best friend at work? As oneof the 12 questions around engagement.
And it is an importantquestion because the data speaks
clearly shows that if you cananswer yes to that question, you
are more likely to have ahighly engaged team and to deliver
(18:15):
those exceptional results. Thechallenge that we had when we wrote
you, me, we though, is that itis passive, it is a reactive question
because it allows me to say,do I have a friend at work? No, I
don't, because Jaclyn got thepromotion I should have got, or Jaclyn's
team always gets the glossyprojects. I don't. No, I don't have
a friend at work. And so wechose to reframe it, which is why
(18:39):
the title of the bookcontinues. It's you, Me, we, why
We All Need a Friend at Workand How to show up as one. Because
it's less about do I have afriend at work? It's more about,
am I being a friend at work toothers but not in a doormat, just
say yes to anything thatJaclyn wants sort of way. Being a
(19:00):
friend at work means I canactually say no to you and set boundaries
and hold each otheraccountable. But it's also being
a friend to myself. Am Imeeting my own needs? Am I reaching
my own career dreams? Am Iputting in, you know, extra hours
and at risk of burnout? How doI put my hand up and say, I need
(19:22):
a break or I need something toshift? And so that friendship is
both outward facing and inwardfacing. So if you're listening to
this and you're not having funat work right now, it's a sign that
you need to be a friend toyourself and start shifting the balance.
Oh, yeah, you know, that'sbeautiful. And I think, you know,
I. I think you know, too. Youknow how important that is. Because
(19:47):
it's not just in business.It's like in life, if you can put
your, you know, if, you know,I think about this, like, in terms
of even, like, networking,when you're going out there and you're.
You're making friends outside,it's not, yes, you have to be a friend
with yourself first and goodto yourself, but creating friendships,
(20:09):
like, how can you think aboutthe other person? You know, cheer
them on. So, like, as yousaid, you shared, okay, so maybe
my team got the glossy, but ifI did, how can I then say, ooh, how
can I help the other team?
And it's, we win together,right? And then think about a company.
(20:32):
You can have the best HR teamever, but if your sales team aren't
able to sell you, sell yourproduct or service, you're not going
to be successful in the wholetime. You can have your best HR team
recruiting talent, developingtalent, your best sales team who
are able to get the neworders, but if your operations team
aren't able to service andbuild and provide that service, you're
(20:54):
going to struggle. And so thisis why it's about the way and not
just about me. Well, I'm doingokay. And finger pointing and blame
that we see elsewhere. And soin our work with leaders around the
world, this whole concept ofhaving and being an ally of having
and being a friend at work,whatever language you want to use
(21:15):
is so important. And it startsone conversation and one relationship
at a time. It starts with therelationship we have with ourselves.
What's the energy I'm bringinginto this conversation, the energy
I'm bringing to this project,and how is that making others feel
and therefore an intentionalchoice at this point? Because leadership
is a choice. A choice to wheredo I need to turn the dial up or
(21:37):
down to ensure that we can bemutually successful?
Yeah, I, I love it. Andmutually successful and where to
turn it up. So important. Andit's. It. It just makes me just think
about how, you know, this. Theimportance of creating that team
environment so that everybody,no matter where they are within the
(22:01):
company, feels that what theydo matters and that they are part
of a team to do X, Y or Z. AndI, and I, I feel like we cannot stress
that enough to get buy in, youneed. You have to get buy in for
people wanting to work onsomething or to be part of something.
(22:23):
And if somebody doesn't haveis. Is that outlier, who's not being
or buying into it? Maybethey're not the right fit. Maybe
they're meant to be in adifferent team, but you need. Or
maybe that's somebody thatneeds to be weeded out, but you need
to create that team where it'sthe we, not the. Not the you or me.
(22:45):
It's the we.
It's we together. And lessexperienced leaders might say to
me, well, I can't possibly befriends with my colleagues because
we're in competition with eachother for the next promotion. I'll
call BS on that. Or I can't befriends with my direct reports because
I might have to reprimand themone day. And I'll call BS on that
too, because the advantage ofhaving the human connection means
(23:08):
that we are more likely toshow that compassion when we do have
to have the toughconversations. Because let's face
it, being a leader, being ateam member is easy, easy peasy lemon
squeezy when things are goingwell. The true test of leadership
is what happens when the proproject's going off the rails or
where your budget gets slashedor somebody goes sick and we have
(23:29):
to, you know, carry that loaduntil they come back. How do we navigate
those tough days? And that'swhen we'd better know who we can
turn to versus findingourselves isolated and alone. And
that's why this is soimportant, right?
Yes. Right. And I love thatbecause that basically allows the
(23:51):
leader to be able to say,okay, you know, we have somebody
on our team who is having X, Yor Z or there's something going on.
We all need to band togetherto fill in.
Yes. Because next week itmight be me having the thing and
then you can cover for me. Soit's the give and take. Now, if somebody
is taking advantage, thenthat's a different leadership skill
(24:11):
of you're holding themaccountable to the results that are
expected. So being an ally,being a friend at work doesn't mean
we go soft. It doesn't mean welower the standards. It doesn't mean
that we start seeingsandbagging ourselves or others.
In fact, it allows us to raisethe standards because everybody's
on the same page and there istransparency and clarity around those
(24:34):
expectations.
Yeah, I love that. Iabsolutely love it. So if you've
been listening to this andwhich I hope you have been listeners,
I really want you tounderstand that being able to create
and foster the amazingculture, to create the we, it's,
(24:56):
you know, grab the books, takea listen and be a great leader who
creates a team environmentwhere we're supporting everybody
and they're being heard. Andyes, get to know the people in your
tribe. I'm not asking, we'renot asking you to, you know, sleep
(25:18):
with them, but we are askingyou to be friends with them.
Yeah. Let's be clear. Youdon't have to take me home to meet
your mother. This is in an HRappropriate way. But get to know
the journey, the life journey,the lived experience behind the job
title. And I'll use myself asan example. You've all now been introduced
to me. Morag Barrett, CEO ofSky Team, author of three books and
(25:40):
a leadership developmentkeynote speaker. All right, now,
if you leave it at that,you're going to miss the richness
that comes from 15 years incommercial finance. The fact that
I am originally from the uk,Maybe you've heard that in the accent.
But now living in America, Ihave worked with leaders from 20
countries. I'm the mother ofthree six foot boys. There is so
(26:01):
much that goes behind thesnapshot that you may be seeing today.
Think about the richness thatyou could uncover, but also the richness
that you could share from yourown journey that brings those connections
and those points ofintersection closer together with
the people who work with andaround you.
Right. I love that. So how canpeople find you and connect with
(26:23):
you on, you know, how do theydo that?
How do they do that? Well, theadvantage of a slightly unusual name,
it's a Scottish name, is thatyou Google me, Morag Barrett, and
you will find me. But pleasedo connect with me on LinkedIn. You
can check out our work atSkyTeam.com and I invite you all
(26:45):
to take your own complimentaryAlly mindset profile and you will
find that at skyteam. S K Y Eteam dot cloud. You, me, we.
Awesome. Okay, so listeners,please connect. Go. Go to the website.
(27:07):
Go to the Sky Team website.Look for all the links, make the
connections, go onto LinkedIn.And I just want to thank everybody
for listening. This is theUnstoppable Leadership Spotlight
podcast. I am your host,Jaclyn Strominger, and I want to
thank you again all forlistening. If you have found goodness
and great insights in thisepisode, number one, hit subscribe.
(27:28):
Number two, share this withanother leader. Because if we can
create great leaders, we willhave the most amazing and unstoppable
people out there. Again, thankyou for listening and have an amazing
day.
Well, hello everybody andwelcome to another episode of the
Unstoppable LeadershipSpotlight podcast. I am your host,
Jaclyn Strominger, and we hearfrom amazing leaders and their game
changing insights to help makeyou a better leader. And today I
have the absolute pleasure ofwelcoming on Mona Bavar was like
(01:19):
messing up your last name, butshe's awesome. So Morag Barrett has
been an amazing and is anamazing leader. She has partnered
also with over 15,000 leadersand teams from more than 20 countries,
empowering them to develop theskills they need to build trust,
foster collaboration andachieve outstanding results. We all
(01:43):
want better results. And asthe CEO of the sky team and the author
of three award winning books,her mission is to help executives
and teams create cultures ofconnections that break through the
barriers and hold that breakthrough the barriers and hold them
back. Welcome to the show.This is a topic so leaders, listeners,
(02:07):
you are going to know rightnow how to create not just a badass
team, but a badass team thatis going to help you have greater
revenue. So welcome.
Welcome. Let's do this. Itsounds so exciting.
So being a leader,particularly today, is very different
(02:35):
than it was yesterday. And Ifeel like I'm thinking about, you're
gonna think I just looked at apost from somebody and it was like
Skippy Peanut Butter back inthe 60s and 70s to Skippy peanut
Butter now. Same peanutbutter, but different guts on the
inside, actually. So I'd loveto hear because you have had great
(02:57):
experience. How are you seeingleadership today versus yesterday?
Well, that's a great question.And as I think about it, actually,
I think the good news is thatleadership in of itself hasn't changed.
I mean, if you think abouteach of us, think about why we do
(03:20):
what we do. We do it and we goto work. Yes. To pay bills. Okay,
that's table stakes. We'lltake that off the equation. But there
are really three things thatdrive me. I guess drive you, Jaclyn,
and drive the people who arewatching and listening to this episode.
One is we want to do a goodjob. We want to feel like we're being
(03:44):
set up for success and that wehave the tools and equipment needed
to do a good job. Nobody getsup in the morning going, can I really
mess up today? So we want todo our best, but we also want to
feel like our opinion, ourvoice matters, that we're not just
another cog in the machine,that somebody sees us and cares about
(04:11):
us and our success, which thenleads to that third element. Oh,
we get balloons. Thirdelement. You see, it's Worth celebrating
if you're gonna do it. Well,if you're listening, what you couldn't
see was on zoom. We just gotballoons. So it's do a good job to
feel like our. That we matter,that our voice is heard, and there
(04:34):
go the balloons again. Andthen third is that we belong. That
there is a community, thatthere is a team of people, that there
is at least one, in Sky Teamparlance, friend at work, an ally
that I can turn to if I'mhaving an off day. And that I believe
is the same whether you'retalking about Skippy peanut butter
(04:56):
Times in the 60s or here weare today in 2025. Now, what has
shifted, though, is thecontext in which we are leading and
participating in the teamsthat we're working with because we
now have so much moretechnology at our fingertips. We're
working in different ways,we're working in different locations,
(05:18):
we're working across time andgeography. And that, I think, is
where the friction and the rub arises.
You know, I. I think I lovewhat you just said, and it's true.
I think, you know, becausethere is so much technology and there
is so much that's being thrownat us that in some ways, you know,
(05:39):
there. There is that greaterfriction, that some way we're all
supposed to be workingsmarter, not harder, with all the
technology, but actuality, itnot always the case. And as a leader,
we have to kind of steer thepath, right, and figure out where
(05:59):
the people within our fold andour team and the people that we're
leading, whether we're the CEOor of 5 or the CEO of 5000, we have
to know people's path and whatthey want. And you might like technology
and I might not. So let's kindof figure out how to divide and conquer
that, right? And. But in thatsame. Like, how do you think a leader
(06:23):
can help somebody today? Like,make that happen, like, really get
to know. Because there is somuch being thrown at us and so much
technology and so many thingsto learn. What's a leader to do to
help channel it in the rightdirection so we're not all feeling
right.
So many threads I want tounpick with that. So the thing that
(06:47):
we talk about here at SkyTeam, and we share in both of our
books, cultivate the power ofwinning relationships and you, me,
we, why we All Need a Friendat Work and how to show up as one,
is that technology gives usthe illusion of connection. Illusion
of connection. Because, let'sface it, we are all tethered to the
(07:09):
endless stream on oursmartphones, our computers, to the
Google Hangout Zoom Meetmeetings, or the Slack Messages or
the WhatsApp messages that wecannot get away from it. And I'm
sure that everybody listeningto this conversation can recognize
that they have sat through oneof those Zoom Google Hangout Meet
(07:34):
meetings like I have and fakeperky their way through it. We've
put on the smile, we've noddedand gone, yes, Jaclyn, that's what
we're going to do next. Yep, Iknow what I'm going to do. We hang
up and we go, I have no idea.That is the stupidest idea ever.
And you may never know. Sowhat can we do? As leaders, we need
(07:59):
to slow down in order to gofast. And it sounds cliched, but
I love that. Oh, you do? Oh,see, like, we're. We're like twins.
Here's what happens. This iswhat I've seen and I've caught myself
doing. This is on Zoom. Youget onto a call, and you might be
three seconds late, and firstout of our mouths is, I'm sorry I'm
(08:22):
late, Jaclyn. Sorry I'm late.Now, remember, back into B.C. before
COVID when we worked in thesame location, you might roll into
a meeting room five or 10minutes late because you stopped
at the restroom. Heaven forbidyou have a restroom break at. But
you stop at the restroom, yougrab a cup of coffee, somebody in
the corridor goes, oh, do youhave a minute? And you'll say, yeah,
(08:44):
I'm on my way into thatmeeting. But of course. And then
we start the meeting, andnobody really ever mentioned, hey,
you're five minutes late.There was an acceptable passing time
and technology. I think whathappens is the Zoom Room opens and
we're straight down to, so,what are you doing? Where are you?
On the project? And slowingdown is to allow space for the. How
(09:07):
are you doing? What's happenedsince I last saw you? Here's what's
happening in the world. Didyou see the news? Or here's what's
happening elsewhere in theteam. Okay, now let's talk about
the project and our reason forgetting together. So technology is
both the boon and the bane ofleaders and leadership and team.
And team ship. And unlesswe're being thoughtful and deliberate,
(09:31):
I think we're not using it toits best advantage.
So there's a. I love what youjust said, and there's a couple things
that have just come to mymind. So, first of all, obviously,
as I shared, I. I say that alot. Like, we do need to slow down
to go faster because we haveto put in some of those systems.
And there's also something tobe said about walking into or getting.
(09:55):
When I say walking in, likegetting onto a call. And if the first
thing out of your mouth issorry, it changes the dynamic of
how people look and listen toyou. The person who's just said sorry.
So I actually am a bigproponent and I try to tell my kids
this all the time. Take theword sorry out of your vocabulary,
(10:20):
because a lot of we don't useit properly. Like if I walk into
the room, if I get to. IntoZoom late and I'm three minutes late,
sorry, I haven't hurt you. Ihaven't done anything. So is it the
right word? Right. So that'ssort of like one thing, I guess.
Like, I was like, let's alltake the word sorry and only use
(10:42):
it for what we are truly sorry for.
Right.
Like if I've hurt somebody'sfeelings. Right. But what you also
said about coming on, like,right before we got on, we were talking
ahead of time. Right. And thenboth, you know, before I start, you
know, anything, we have that,for lack of better word, the mission
(11:05):
statement of the podcast. AndI. And I would say one of the things
that, that as a leader, whatI, I would love to see, and I love
your take on this is what ifevery person before whoever is running
the meeting started it withsomething a little slower. That also
(11:27):
was like the mission of thecompany, the mission of the team.
The like, it's almost likethe. The rallying cry and call to
bring people together.
The why we are here. Yeah. Andwhat brings us together. I love that.
I mean, if you think back tothe three things I shared earlier
on, the fact that we all wantto do a good job and feel like we're
(11:48):
contributing to somethingbigger than ourselves, that we are,
that we matter, and that webelong, that all comes to that human
experience. It's not justwidget in, widget out. It is how
we go about delivering thoseresults together that leaves the
legacy. Because I'm sure if Iasked you or anybody on the call,
(12:09):
both two versions of the samequestion, who would you jump at the
chance to work with again? Orwhere? And what was your best job
ever? My guess is that theanswer to both of those questions
are not necessarily rooted inthe metrics. The, oh, well, that
job where I flipped a thousandpizzas, or you don't flip pizzas,
(12:33):
but you can tell I didn't dothat. I was a waitress, but I didn't
flip Pizzas, even when I wascarrying them, would be the good
thing. But we're not reallymeasuring and remembering the metrics,
what we remember and thethousands of leaders who I've asked
that question, who would youjump at the chance to work with?
Again, their memories are allabout how the work or especially
how did that person make mefeel? Did they inspire me to go the
(12:57):
extra mile? Did they take achance on me and see potential before
I saw it in myself? Maybe theygave me the tough feedback that stung
in the moment but helped me tobe a better leader for the future
going forward. So think aboutthat. We are hardwired as humans
to feel first, which is whyyour suggestion of reconnecting with
(13:21):
the why, the purpose, themeaning in the work that we do can
be a powerful way to remindpeople why we chose to join this
organization, join this team,join this project, and then we can
focus on and so what do weneed to do to continue to move that
forward?
Yeah, and I listeners, I wantyou to. When I started this episode,
(13:44):
I shared that you will learnsomething that will help you create
an amazing culture that willcreate greater profits. And what
Morag just said is soimportant. Am I pointing my finger
like my pencil? Because peopleremember how they feel. They remember
(14:08):
the leader that helped them beheard and listened to and also saw
the greatness like within theother person and helped them, you
know, build that up. When wehave leaders who can, who can take
somebody and where you canlook at the people that are in your
fold and on your team andbring out the best of them, be both
(14:32):
positive about where they are,what they're doing and where they
are going, it's going to pay back.
Oh, yes, exponential. I wasworking with an executive team of
eight recently and it wasapparently a relatively new team.
They'd had some changes inleadership, etc. But it was eight
individuals. Individuals andany of us with basic math know that
(14:55):
eight times one equals eight.And that's fine. Maybe you're going
to meet your quotas if youjust do your bit and sit back and
allow others to do their bit.But as I pointed out to them, if
they can accelerate thatjourney to high trust, understanding
where the friction is andremoving it, having the right conversations
(15:16):
at the right time, being ableto be truth seekers and truth speakers,
you know, this is where I getreally excited then you don't just
unlock 8 to the power of or 1.You don't just unlock 8 very smart
individual leaders. You get 8to the power of 8, which is 64 and
think about what we could do.When you talk about creativity and
(15:38):
innovation and speed tomarket, and let's just face it, having
a whole lot of fun, raisingthe bar and learning together, that's
when the magic happens. And ofcourse, you can go bigger than that
because you've got eight tothe power of eight, which is the
leadership team in their ownlittle ivory tower doing their thing.
But once you then factor inthe teams reporting to them, now
(16:00):
you're getting thatexponential catalyst. And how do
you do that? You do it bycreating cultures of connection,
by creating that human link.And that happens right back to our
very first point when we slowdown. It happens in the work, but
it also happens in the momentsbetween the work, in the conversations
(16:21):
that we have. Whether it's,hey, Jaclyn, you don't see myself
today. Are you okay? Or hey,Jaclyn, I just want to let you know
I saw what you and your teamdid last week. Amazing. Keep doing
that. Or just stopping andsaying, hey, Jaclyn, what do you
need from me today in order tohelp you and your team to succeed?
When we show curiosity, whenwe focus on the human element, anything
(16:45):
and everything is possible.And I've seen it happen and I've
lived it.
Yeah, it's, you know, it's sotrue. I'm getting goosebumps.
Goosebumps.
Because it's, it's what makes,it makes, it's what makes great companies
great and great leaders greator great teams great. Because they
bring that, bring that out.And, and again, if. If there's one
(17:08):
thing that you take from this,find how you can personally connect
with the people on your teamto help them see the best in themselves
and make people feel heard andcreate the power of people working
together and not thisfighting. It's not about. And I love
(17:33):
the title of your book, you,Me, we, because it is so true. It's
not about you, it's about theteam. It's about the we and how we
can work together. It is so,so important and that.
The premise of that book is sopowerful because as we know, Gallup
has been researchingengagement and high performing teams,
(17:54):
et cetera, for decades. Andthey ask consistently, do I have
a best friend at work? As oneof the 12 questions around engagement.
And it is an importantquestion because the data speaks
clearly shows that if you cananswer yes to that question, you
are more likely to have ahighly engaged team and to deliver
(18:15):
those exceptional results. Thechallenge that we had when we wrote
you, me, we though, is that itis passive, it is a reactive question
because it allows me to say,do I have a friend at work? No, I
don't, because Jaclyn got thepromotion I should have got, or Jaclyn's
team always gets the glossyprojects. I don't. No, I don't have
a friend at work. And so wechose to reframe it, which is why
(18:39):
the title of the bookcontinues. It's you, Me, we, why
We All Need a Friend at Workand How to show up as one. Because
it's less about do I have afriend at work? It's more about,
am I being a friend at work toothers but not in a doormat, just
say yes to anything thatJaclyn wants sort of way. Being a
(19:00):
friend at work means I canactually say no to you and set boundaries
and hold each otheraccountable. But it's also being
a friend to myself. Am Imeeting my own needs? Am I reaching
my own career dreams? Am Iputting in, you know, extra hours
and at risk of burnout? How doI put my hand up and say, I need
(19:22):
a break or I need something toshift? And so that friendship is
both outward facing and inwardfacing. So if you're listening to
this and you're not having funat work right now, it's a sign that
you need to be a friend toyourself and start shifting the balance.
Oh, yeah, you know, that'sbeautiful. And I think, you know,
I. I think you know, too. Youknow how important that is. Because
(19:47):
it's not just in business.It's like in life, if you can put
your, you know, if, you know,I think about this, like, in terms
of even, like, networking,when you're going out there and you're.
You're making friends outside,it's not, yes, you have to be a friend
with yourself first and goodto yourself, but creating friendships,
(20:09):
like, how can you think aboutthe other person? You know, cheer
them on. So, like, as yousaid, you shared, okay, so maybe
my team got the glossy, but ifI did, how can I then say, ooh, how
can I help the other team?
And it's, we win together,right? And then think about a company.
(20:32):
You can have the best HR teamever, but if your sales team aren't
able to sell you, sell yourproduct or service, you're not going
to be successful in the wholetime. You can have your best HR team
recruiting talent, developingtalent, your best sales team who
are able to get the neworders, but if your operations team
aren't able to service andbuild and provide that service, you're
(20:54):
going to struggle. And so thisis why it's about the way and not
just about me. Well, I'm doingokay. And finger pointing and blame
that we see elsewhere. And soin our work with leaders around the
world, this whole concept ofhaving and being an ally of having
and being a friend at work,whatever language you want to use
(21:15):
is so important. And it startsone conversation and one relationship
at a time. It starts with therelationship we have with ourselves.
What's the energy I'm bringinginto this conversation, the energy
I'm bringing to this project,and how is that making others feel
and therefore an intentionalchoice at this point? Because leadership
is a choice. A choice to wheredo I need to turn the dial up or
(21:37):
down to ensure that we can bemutually successful?
Yeah, I, I love it. Andmutually successful and where to
turn it up. So important. Andit's. It. It just makes me just think
about how, you know, this. Theimportance of creating that team
environment so that everybody,no matter where they are within the
(22:01):
company, feels that what theydo matters and that they are part
of a team to do X, Y or Z. AndI, and I, I feel like we cannot stress
that enough to get buy in, youneed. You have to get buy in for
people wanting to work onsomething or to be part of something.
(22:23):
And if somebody doesn't haveis. Is that outlier, who's not being
or buying into it? Maybethey're not the right fit. Maybe
they're meant to be in adifferent team, but you need. Or
maybe that's somebody thatneeds to be weeded out, but you need
to create that team where it'sthe we, not the. Not the you or me.
(22:45):
It's the we.
It's we together. And lessexperienced leaders might say to
me, well, I can't possibly befriends with my colleagues because
we're in competition with eachother for the next promotion. I'll
call BS on that. Or I can't befriends with my direct reports because
I might have to reprimand themone day. And I'll call BS on that
too, because the advantage ofhaving the human connection means
(23:08):
that we are more likely toshow that compassion when we do have
to have the toughconversations. Because let's face
it, being a leader, being ateam member is easy, easy peasy lemon
squeezy when things are goingwell. The true test of leadership
is what happens when the proproject's going off the rails or
where your budget gets slashedor somebody goes sick and we have
(23:29):
to, you know, carry that loaduntil they come back. How do we navigate
those tough days? And that'swhen we'd better know who we can
turn to versus findingourselves isolated and alone. And
that's why this is soimportant, right?
Yes. Right. And I love thatbecause that basically allows the
(23:51):
leader to be able to say,okay, you know, we have somebody
on our team who is having X, Yor Z or there's something going on.
We all need to band togetherto fill in.
Yes. Because next week itmight be me having the thing and
then you can cover for me. Soit's the give and take. Now, if somebody
is taking advantage, thenthat's a different leadership skill
(24:11):
of you're holding themaccountable to the results that are
expected. So being an ally,being a friend at work doesn't mean
we go soft. It doesn't mean welower the standards. It doesn't mean
that we start seeingsandbagging ourselves or others.
In fact, it allows us to raisethe standards because everybody's
on the same page and there istransparency and clarity around those
(24:34):
expectations.
Yeah, I love that. Iabsolutely love it. So if you've
been listening to this andwhich I hope you have been listeners,
I really want you tounderstand that being able to create
and foster the amazingculture, to create the we, it's,
(24:56):
you know, grab the books, takea listen and be a great leader who
creates a team environmentwhere we're supporting everybody
and they're being heard. Andyes, get to know the people in your
tribe. I'm not asking, we'renot asking you to, you know, sleep
(25:18):
with them, but we are askingyou to be friends with them.
Yeah. Let's be clear. Youdon't have to take me home to meet
your mother. This is in an HRappropriate way. But get to know
the journey, the life journey,the lived experience behind the job
title. And I'll use myself asan example. You've all now been introduced
to me. Morag Barrett, CEO ofSky Team, author of three books and
(25:40):
a leadership developmentkeynote speaker. All right, now,
if you leave it at that,you're going to miss the richness
that comes from 15 years incommercial finance. The fact that
I am originally from the uk,Maybe you've heard that in the accent.
But now living in America, Ihave worked with leaders from 20
countries. I'm the mother ofthree six foot boys. There is so
(26:01):
much that goes behind thesnapshot that you may be seeing today.
Think about the richness thatyou could uncover, but also the richness
that you could share from yourown journey that brings those connections
and those points ofintersection closer together with
the people who work with andaround you.
Right. I love that. So how canpeople find you and connect with
(26:23):
you on, you know, how do theydo that?
How do they do that? Well, theadvantage of a slightly unusual name,
it's a Scottish name, is thatyou Google me, Morag Barrett, and
you will find me. But pleasedo connect with me on LinkedIn. You
can check out our work atSkyTeam.com and I invite you all
(26:45):
to take your own complimentaryAlly mindset profile and you will
find that at skyteam. S K Y Eteam dot cloud. You, me, we.
Awesome. Okay, so listeners,please connect. Go. Go to the website.
(27:07):
Go to the Sky Team website.Look for all the links, make the
connections, go onto LinkedIn.And I just want to thank everybody
for listening. This is theUnstoppable Leadership Spotlight
podcast. I am your host,Jaclyn Strominger, and I want to
thank you again all forlistening. If you have found goodness
and great insights in thisepisode, number one, hit subscribe.
(27:28):
Number two, share this withanother leader. Because if we can
create great leaders, we willhave the most amazing and unstoppable
people out there. Again, thankyou for listening and have an amazing
day.
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