November 10, 2025 • 28 mins
In this episode, Dr. Angela sits down with Holly Golebiowski, Lead Facilitator for LeaderSkills and entrepreneur, to talk about the mindset behind growth, leadership, and lifelong learning. From her early start in real estate management to becoming COO of a national company, Holly shares the lessons that shaped her journey and how she helps others grow as leaders today.
Now working toward her International Coaching Federation certification, Holly blends her professional expertise with a genuine passion for people. Off the clock, she enjoys life with her husband on Lake Lanier, where she loves to host family and friends on the water or around the dinner table.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about building leadership from the inside out.
Now working toward her International Coaching Federation certification, Holly blends her professional expertise with a genuine passion for people. Off the clock, she enjoys life with her husband on Lake Lanier, where she loves to host family and friends on the water or around the dinner table.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about building leadership from the inside out.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to Passioneer Magazine, the podcast Well You're here, inspirational stories,
encouraging news, and in depth interviews with authors, influencers, CEOs
and thought leaders. Passioneer Magazine the podcast Bold Ideas, Brave Pursuits,
Boundless Inspiration.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hello, Hello, Hello, Thank you so much Holly for joining
me here today. Welcome to Passioner Magazine the podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited
to be a guest.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Absolutely, I cannot wait to talk to you today, and
I know that our viewers and our listeners are definitely
in for a treat. Now, before we get started, I
realized that I may be introducing you to some viewers
or listeners for the very first time. So can you
tell us just a little bit about yourself? What makes
(01:09):
you you? Uh?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Well wow? So I am pretty much that feels loaded,
but I am someone that is. I very much enjoy
my career. I'm an executive coach and involved with a
company called Leader Skills, which is leadership training. I am
very passionate about leaving people better than I found them.
And that's not just professionally, that's personally. I just don't
(01:33):
think people do enough in this world. To support each
other and bring joy to each other. So that is
kind of my motto. And apparently I've been that way
since the day I was born, according to my parents.
So that's probably the most interesting thing about me.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Oh I love that. I love that. And you know,
it's so interesting how when we go back and we
talk to our parents about how we were as little kids.
I remember my parents saying, oh, my goodness, like sit down,
or you're just a little chatty Kathy, what are you doing?
(02:07):
And now that I am on television and I do radio,
it's kind of like the light bulb went off and said,
oh she was practicing, so.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yes, very much for me as well. So yeah, I
can relate.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yes, And that's exactly That's exactly what I'm getting at
that we should definitely encourage our little people and the
personalities that they have. You never know who they're going
to grow up to be. I love that. I love that. Now,
speaking of the changes that go on in our lives,
you have made a very determined leap, if you will,
(02:44):
and a lot of people call it a leap, a jump,
or you said, you know what, we're done with that
onto something new. So in the fact that you have
found it leadership skills as well as Holly g business
coaching major leap. Tell us a little bit about how
you determined that it was time to perhaps set that
(03:07):
down and pick.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Up something that's yeah, absolutely well. It came out of
what I would say is the hardest time I've ever
had professionally in my life. I was always the A
plus kid. I mean in school, I was the A
plus kid, did every extracurricular, had the full scholarship to college.
Came out with, you know, guns blazing promotion, promotion in
my career, and I was very comfortable and that was
(03:32):
felt like my identity almost at a certain point. And
then I got promoted to a position that I was
almost I was struggling for the first time in my life.
I made the jump from being an on site manager
to a regional manager, and I was I was just
spinning my wheels, miserable and didn't know what I wasn't
doing right. And I had a lot of people around me,
(03:55):
like my direct supervisor, other people in that company that
were just like, well, you need to dig in or
you know, the numbers aren't good, and I'm like, those
are all symptoms. What's the problem. Help me, help me,
you know. So I didn't get it. So I ended
up going to the CEO of that company at the
time and said, I think I need an executive coach.
I've heard of them. I'd like to try it. What
(04:16):
do you think? And I don't know to this day
what made that man believe in me. But he's like,
you know what, We've never done it and it's a
lot of money, but you've done well here before, so
let's try it. And that's when I met Nan O'Connor,
who is the creator of the content of Leader Skills.
And I'm telling you what, within six months my life changed,
Like she just spent all that time going through things
(04:36):
with me that I just you don't learn when you're young,
you know, like self awareness or you know how you
need to be self aware to not negatively impact others,
you know, just things like empathy, curiosity, things that I
just don't come naturally do a lot of us. And
she completely changed my life and made it a much
less problem free world for me. So that experience is
(04:58):
really where it started to ticket because that difference she
made for me felt it was just huge, and I
think it goes back to me like wanting to help
people and leave them better than I found them. That
it kind of stuck in the back of my mind.
And then you know, I ended up moved all the
way up to COO and loved that, but realized I
wasn't really having the impact one on one with people
(05:20):
like I used to. So that was when I'm like,
you know what, I think I can I think I
can make this change. And I ended up quitting Corporate America,
went back to school to become an executive coach, and
in that process, as I was building up my client
client list, Nan called one day and said, I need
help with leader skills, and so that's how I ended
(05:41):
up involved with her, and it's been so rewarding because
I can help a lot more people more quickly that
way as well. So it was definitely scary though, but
I can tell anyone that's listening, if you feel like
it's the bottom for you, I promise you out of
that always. There can always be amazing things that happen
if you're willing to just you know, take a step
back and really think about what's right for you your family.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, oh my goodness, I love that story. Thank you
so much for sharing and on so many different levels.
Because I hear that you did exactly what we see
on social media. Right, Sometimes you just have to do
it scared. Yeah, sometimes you have to walk by faith
and not by sight. Right, whichever level, whichever side of
(06:21):
the coin, you need to understand that it has to
be done, and you were willing to do that. The
courage that it takes sometimes to become our best selves,
to be the person that we were always meant to be.
If it were easy, if it were always comfortable, then
everyone would do it. So there really is that refining
(06:43):
process that we must go through in order to get there.
So bravo for a stepping out.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
That is awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I love it. I love it. Now I want to
kind of throw two words out there to you that
seems like they have been come four letter words over
the past few years, and one is time management. When
I say that, the eye rolls that, I get the
(07:12):
uh that doctor Angela right, like those types of comments,
and the word delegation that seems to strike fear into
people as well. Now we know that as leaders, as
good leaders, those are two things that we have to
deal with. Now, of course, I want to ask you,
how do you help people with that. But I do
(07:35):
want to give a little bit of a disclaimer the
same way I would tell someone to buy the book.
You know, of course, full answers and all of that
will be included in any packages or services that one
could purchase with you to really have a more one
on one experience. But generally speaking, how do we deal
with time management and delegation?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Well, those are two very important things, so I'll take
each one at a time. First of all, with time management,
we are so oblivious, I think, to the fact that
we really are all bad at it and we are
not really trained on how to do it. Well. If
you don't have a process, you need one. And what
I usually one thing we teach at leader skills and
(08:18):
my coaching practice is you get a system, whether it's Trello,
which is a free online program you can use that
has an app on your phone, you can use it
on your laptop. You can create all kinds of lists
on what you need to do, when to do it.
You can organize and I always tell people organize it
by what you must do and by what you want
to do, and then things you're waiting on others for,
(08:40):
because that's something that doesn't really need to sit on
your list. You can sit it off to the side
if it's not something you can do anything about. And
then a focus five, which is one of the five
things that have to be done right now that really
need my attention, because if you are looking at that
whole to do list, it is going to be overwhelming
and you're going to be spinning your wheels and just
not be very effective. So we really push for that
(09:01):
focus vive and then you know, from that to do
list it does lead into delegation, but I'll get to
that in a minute, but keeping that list is critical.
But beyond that, what I do tell a lot of
my clients one of the first things I have them
do is a time study, and I just have anything
they do, throw it up on the calendar, Like if
you get distracted, if someone calls you, if it takes
ten minutes out of your day, make a note of it.
(09:22):
And I find it easy. It's just to throw it
on your outlook calendar so that you can kind of
sum it all up at the end. But if you
do that for two weeks, I think almost all of
us would be surprised by where we are spending our
time and what's pulling us away from what we really
need to do and you know, maybe realize we do
have some extra time in there on something that maybe
isn't worth you know, whether it's personal or professional. There
(09:45):
are some things we do that we realize when we
look at it on paper, well that's silly. Why am
I doing that? So I mean that I looked at
mine and I was like blown away when I did
it the first time. So those are two things. Have
a system, and there's tons of them out there. But
again I always recommend TRELLO. I think it's easiest, sense
free and that and anyone can pick it up very quickly.
But then also a time study to really understand what
(10:07):
you're doing with your time now. And then the last
tip on time management is just if you want to
get it done, you better calendar it, you know, and
that's not just your task. That's like if you're a leader,
you need to have strategic time too. You know, maybe
it's once a month where you take an hour on
your calendar and say, okay, I'm going to think about
all the strategic things I want to do and maybe
(10:28):
and push those forward. So that's important as well because
if you don't calendar, it's likely not going to happen.
So that's my time management.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Absolutely. Now before you before you talk about delegations, I
have to I have to agree with you so so
much there. That one with realizing where we wasting our
own time, right, like what are the little things that
we are doing where it's it's kind of like when
you say something out loud, you can hear how it
(10:57):
truly sounds as opposed to it sounds great in your head,
and then you say it out loud and you go,
oh wow, no wonder they didn't understand or no, wonder
they're having a hard time with that. Right, So you are?
You are so right there. I remember I went to
an event and it was a bunch of leaders in
there and they were talking about time management and everyone
(11:20):
the facilitator said, everyone, bring up your calendars and let's
see you know what we're what we're all doing here
in my little section, it was we were all little
peas in the pod. We had things color coded, we
had stuff blocked off, and we're sitting there looking at
each other, going good job job, and it's like, wait,
is your red like red hot like to do?
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Right now?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I was like yeah. I was like, I do red
yellow green. She's like, yes, I do red, yellow green.
And the lady at the end was like I do
ABC and we're like that's fine too, staying on the road.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
It works for you, what works for you.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Words, So I just want to say a sobsolutely, please
get something and write it all down. People laugh sometimes
because it's like, do you really have spend time with
family on your calendar? And it's like absolutely. It's not
necessarily to remind me, but it is to make sure
(12:16):
that no one else impedes upon my family time because
this is my time to spend with them. So I
love that. Delegation the other word that seems to make
people feel something not always positive. Let's talk about delegation.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
So I think the biggest thing with delegation is thinking
about it with a different lens. A lot of people,
I think when I first start working with them, they
look at it as things they have to get off
their plate. And that is true to a degree. You
want to get things off your plate so you can
focus on what you're being paid to do or what
you need to do. But in reality, it is so
much more than that. It is about giving people under you,
(12:59):
or that we're with you or in other areas how
to learn to do things. You know you're going to
grow them that way as well. So it is very
critical and growing people to really teach them those things,
train them on those things, because what do we all
want to do? Take a vacation and not be bothered? Right?
And how does that happen by training your teams to
(13:19):
handle everything when you're gone? And how does that happen
by delegating? So it's it's a piece of that. But
also on the flip side, your team senses mistrust. If
you don't trust them to delegate to them, they will
sense that and they'll feel, you know, like lesser than
in effect, you know, like well they don't trust me
to do that, or I'm over here just toiling my
(13:40):
thumbs and they're overwhelmingly busy, but they won't let me
help in any way. You know, that does not send
a good message to them, and people like to be challenged.
It is. There's plenty of studies out there, but if
you are not constantly being invested in as an employee,
if they're not training you on things and growing you
and developing you, then you're likely not going to stay there.
(14:00):
You will turn over very quickly at a company if
you do not feel valued in that way. So I
think delegation has a lot to do with those things
and really changing how you think about it. I think
has a lot to do with helping make you better
at it.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Absolutely absolutely, And I think that we're starting to see
that more with our younger generation and that they are
much more vocal about what they believe is true or
or is it true? Now that might be, that might
be a little bit of a rub for some folks,
but I think the open and honest communication that they
(14:34):
want to have, they want to step up, they want
to be utilized, and they want to feel like they
are a part of the team as opposed to just
employee number.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Now it's like a cog in the whale. Yeah, exactly right, exactly.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
So I love that you are that you are having
that conversation with people as well, and we do need
to be reminded to value each person that is at
the table.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Now, another thing that you talk about is accountability. Now,
many times we have conversations on accountability and we're thinking
only when someone has done something negative, like they've dropped
the ball and now it's we need to talk and
we have to talk about accountability. But accountability is something
that can also be preventative care or something that happens
(15:21):
in the forefront.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
So with that being said, how do we shift our
mindset or how do we build into our structure and
our culture that positive accountability before it becomes a negative.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Absolutely? Well, first of all, it's important to have check ins,
regular scheduled check ins. Depending on who it is and
their needs and what projects they're doing. It could be
once a week, it could be twice more every two
weeks or once a month. But if you have that
regular scheduled time with that person and you have to
stick to it, you cannot reschedule on them because that
sends a message of you don't matter as much as
(15:57):
something else. But have that meeting and just get make
sure you have kind of a outline for how that
meeting goes. You know, things you're going through and talking about,
so they get in the habit of having conversations with
you on a regular basis where there you're checking in
with them on all the things they're doing on a
regular basis, and that way you don't have to have
a random phone call saying we need to talk, because
(16:19):
then they're gonna know right it's bad and that never
feels good. And the amount of stress that creates for
someone until that meeting then is overwhelming, and as a
leader usually overwhelms you too because you're like, oh, I
have to go have this conversation and you just don't.
You haven't taken that time to talk to them regularly,
develop that trust with each other and that comfort that
(16:40):
you get when you talk on a regular basis about things.
So that's the first piece. And then second of all,
in that meeting, you should really be talking about you know, deadlines, projects,
and it should always be part of that agenda to
say what did we do right, what did we do wrong?
What do we want to do better? And that way
you're always giving that feedback. And I think the biggest
thing with accountability is people want to make it punitive,
(17:02):
and it should not be punitive. It should always be
about growth. I mean, as a leader, I was certainly
not perfect and I made mistakes all the time. And
my boss, I'm not saying he liked it, but he
allowed it for me to grow. And we have to
do the same with our direct reports and with people
we're helping grow. You know, we have to allow some
room for error, and when they do make mistakes, because
(17:24):
they will, it's your job to protect them, you know,
to help them be better at it. But also to
anyone above that sees whatever the mistake was, say hey,
you know what, they're new, they're learning. We're gonna get
through this together, because if you don't do that, they're
going to trust you less and they're going to be
less likely to take chances, and they're gonna, you know,
not feel as good about it and again lead to turnover.
(17:46):
So it's very important, very important to do it that way.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Oh absolutely, And thank you for saying the other side.
So many times we just get the information from the
employee side like, oh goodness. Seem as when your spouse
or your mate or your parents say, you know, wait
wait until you get home, or you know, we need
to talk later today and you might as well just
(18:09):
go home because you're not being productive at work because
you're dreading the conversation. But very seldom do we hear
that the person who has to have that conversation with
you doesn't want to have that conversation with you either,
but they're not looking forward, they're not fired up to
talk to that person right because they know that they
(18:30):
have to be the bad guy in in that moment. No, sure,
there are some personality types that are able to deal
with it, that can compartmentalize it, keep it professional and
all of that, but there are so many more that
are just they need a hot tea before to talk
as well. So very much, I so know that it's
(18:51):
a little kind of even there as well. I love
that now you said a really good thing there, and
that is about the mistakes if we because we are human,
there are going to be some mistakes that happen, and
we need to be aware of that. Every day is
not going to be a perfect day. Will you talk
about team building and how to make sure that our
(19:12):
teams are the best that they can be. The question
of what to do when there are mistakes? Do you
get that question often? If so, again, I don't divulge
at all, but what is one thing that perhaps you
can do to help keep your team going on the
right track or keep it positive if a mistake has
(19:32):
been made?
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Curiosity one word. I think that's the biggest thing you
have to get. Curious, why did the mistake happen. Don't
focus on necessarily the mistake itself, like oh my gosh,
that's horrible, this mistake. Instead say hey, this I noticed this,
or this happened whatever, whatever it was. You know, let's
I'm curious, you know, tell me how you did it.
I want to go through the process and just get
(19:56):
curious in all the ways you can, so that you
really understand and how it happened and make it more
about that versus you know, again just focusing on you
did something wrong that feels that does feel good to anybody.
It's amazing what curiosity and empathy can do in those situations.
And just you know, we all make assumptions so often
(20:16):
based on our own narrative in our head, and we
usually have no clue what the heck happened. You know.
We we know what we would have done if that
we made that mistake, but we don't know why they did.
So curiosity is critical, I think, to finding not only
the right solutions to help grow that person and help them,
but also to make sure everybody feels positive and walks
away feeling good about it.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Absolutely, And I could not agree with you more. And
you know, as someone who talks about empathetic leadership all
the time. I cannot reiterate enough. How if we just pause,
slow down, just a mint to as you said, check
in with those that are members, team leaders, a part
(21:00):
of the team, how whatever name you want to give
to them, and really find out what's going on in
their world. It makes all the difference in the world
with the culture that you create and how even those
people are able to interact with each other. You know,
if someone is going through a divorce, or they are
(21:22):
the caretakers for their parents, as many are now a
part of the Sandwich generation. You know, there's so many
things that are going on in people's lives, and if
we're aware of it, what can we do to help
let that person know that we see them, that we
care about them. We still want them to do their job,
but we also realize you're a human being that just
probably needs a little bit of flexibility where flexibility can
(21:44):
be given. And what a beautiful way that they will
then say, I'm not leaving here because they care about us. Exactly,
because they care, thank you for allowing me to have
a long lunch on Tuesdays, because that's the day I
take care of my mom or whatever it is. So
you are you are so right there now. My last
question for you is about hybrid workplaces. I think that
(22:09):
over the past few years, in part due to the
pandemic happening, we realize that work can be done from home.
Imagine that. But there really truly were people who were
able to keep that keep that lane open, and be
(22:31):
productive of people. We notice that with a lot of businesses,
their numbers did not drop that in some cases they
either maintained or improved slightly because people were able to
do what they needed to do in the way in
which they needed to do it. With that being said,
are you seeing any new trends when it comes to
hybrid work or are you seeing that there's a projection
(22:56):
for us to return more so to more traditional ways
of doing business.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Well, I do think that there is a push by
you know, different leaders to try to get people to
come back. But I think obviously there's a lot of
rub right now going on there. And the biggest thing
that I've seen, even in talking with clients and talking
with just colleagues, is that people want them all back
(23:22):
in the office because they want to see them and
know they're working. And I think it's something that people
have to grab their brain around. If you can't trust them,
whether you see them or not, they shouldn't be working
for you. And that's the first thing. And second of all,
I keep hearing really silly things like between every you
(23:43):
know article and news story, it's over and over again.
I keep hearing, you know, well, they're probably doing laundry
and they're, you know, taking a long lunch. Let's just
ask this question. So what so what like is it
about the results or is it about how they get
to the results? You know, because I'll tell you all
day long, the moment you say, hey, I need all
(24:05):
these things done and you just let them go do it. However,
they're going to do it as long as you get
the results you want and obviously morally correct ways those
kinds of things, but without breaking any laws. But as
long as the result you need is provided. So what
if they maybe do laundry a little bit in the
middle of the day because they need to take their
brain offline for a minute to think through things, or
(24:28):
maybe they need a little bit of a flex schedule.
But they're working different hours, And I mean, I don't
know how many times we've seen this come out where
people that are working from home were giving more time,
not less, because you know they're not commuting now, their
office is at home, readily available. If they have downtime,
they're going to go do that a little more and
they're happier doing it. They're more productive doing it because
(24:48):
they want to focus and then get done as soon
as they can so they can go do what they
want to do. Right if you make them stay changed
to their desk eight to five because that makes you
feel better, it actually is really working against you and
it's the opposite of what you're trying to do. So
I think that's kind of a lot. But that's all
the different things I'm hearing seeing for the most part.
But I think it's a great shift personally as a coach.
(25:09):
I think people working from home, there are some people
who need that person time, They need to be in
that environment. My husband's first one that'll tell you he
has to be in the office because he claims it's
his ADHD dragging him all over the place. But I
think he just needs that focus of sitting next to people.
But the majority of people don't need that, and we're
(25:30):
just better off without it.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Absolutely, absolutely, I think that the model served its purpose
for its day and for its time. You know, but
the world can run for many of us on our
iPhones right we are, we are planning things out in
the world continues to spend thanks to our wonderful phones,
(25:53):
so we don't have to continue to be so locked in.
I think, like you said, it is great for the
people who want, but for the people who can, it's
about the productivity and when it comes down to the
bottom line. I think people are sometimes perhaps a little
frightened to say, look at the numbers, man, look at
(26:14):
the numbers. It's like I'm home in my jammy. I mean,
not me personally, but it's like, you know, if I'm
home in my jammys and I am making it happen
for you, and the bottom line is the bottom line
often is jammys. It is. And it's so funny because
(26:34):
I'm a night owl. So there are many many times
that a workshop or something that I have created has
been because it's two a m. And be it that
I had a latte a little bit too late, or
I just simply couldn't turn my brain off for that
(26:56):
particular day. Something was created and because of that opportunity
for someone else to be involved was created in that.
So I think that flexibility really can be a win
win for everyone. I love it. I love it well, Holly,
thank you so much for coming on Passion, your magazine,
the podcast, and spending some time with me today. I
(27:16):
have enjoyed my conversation with you. Now. Of course, we
know that your information is right here on the screen,
but those that may be listening in if someone wants
to reach out to you, if they want to follow
you on socials, what's the best way to do that?
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Well, I would say the best way is the Leader
Skills website has some really awesome tips you can sign
up for. You get one every two weeks. Nan has
crafted them herself. They are amazing, and I think that
is a great way to get some great information from
us and some helpful tips. But beyond that, just emailing
is the easiest way. I'm not a big social media
(27:52):
meet up person. You know, I can do it. I've
done it. I was big into marketing for a while,
but the rewards of that was exhausting. So judgment, you
can throw it at me, but it's not my jam.
But yeah, I would say email and then the website
obviously is the best thing.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
I love it. Thank you again for coming on Passioner
Magazine the Podcast.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed
being here.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Thank you for listening to Passioneer Magazine the Podcast,
Welcome to Passioneer Magazine, the podcast Well You're here, inspirational stories,
encouraging news, and in depth interviews with authors, influencers, CEOs
and thought leaders. Passioneer Magazine the podcast Bold Ideas, Brave Pursuits,
Boundless Inspiration.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Hello, Hello, Hello, Thank you so much Holly for joining
me here today. Welcome to Passioner Magazine the podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited
to be a guest.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Absolutely, I cannot wait to talk to you today, and
I know that our viewers and our listeners are definitely
in for a treat. Now, before we get started, I
realized that I may be introducing you to some viewers
or listeners for the very first time. So can you
tell us just a little bit about yourself? What makes
(01:09):
you you? Uh?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Well wow? So I am pretty much that feels loaded,
but I am someone that is. I very much enjoy
my career. I'm an executive coach and involved with a
company called Leader Skills, which is leadership training. I am
very passionate about leaving people better than I found them.
And that's not just professionally, that's personally. I just don't
(01:33):
think people do enough in this world. To support each
other and bring joy to each other. So that is
kind of my motto. And apparently I've been that way
since the day I was born, according to my parents.
So that's probably the most interesting thing about me.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Oh I love that. I love that. And you know,
it's so interesting how when we go back and we
talk to our parents about how we were as little kids.
I remember my parents saying, oh, my goodness, like sit down,
or you're just a little chatty Kathy, what are you doing?
(02:07):
And now that I am on television and I do radio,
it's kind of like the light bulb went off and said,
oh she was practicing, so.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yes, very much for me as well. So yeah, I
can relate.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yes, And that's exactly That's exactly what I'm getting at
that we should definitely encourage our little people and the
personalities that they have. You never know who they're going
to grow up to be. I love that. I love that. Now,
speaking of the changes that go on in our lives,
you have made a very determined leap, if you will,
(02:44):
and a lot of people call it a leap, a jump,
or you said, you know what, we're done with that
onto something new. So in the fact that you have
found it leadership skills as well as Holly g business
coaching major leap. Tell us a little bit about how
you determined that it was time to perhaps set that
(03:07):
down and pick.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Up something that's yeah, absolutely well. It came out of
what I would say is the hardest time I've ever
had professionally in my life. I was always the A
plus kid. I mean in school, I was the A
plus kid, did every extracurricular, had the full scholarship to college.
Came out with, you know, guns blazing promotion, promotion in
my career, and I was very comfortable and that was
(03:32):
felt like my identity almost at a certain point. And
then I got promoted to a position that I was
almost I was struggling for the first time in my life.
I made the jump from being an on site manager
to a regional manager, and I was I was just
spinning my wheels, miserable and didn't know what I wasn't
doing right. And I had a lot of people around me,
(03:55):
like my direct supervisor, other people in that company that
were just like, well, you need to dig in or
you know, the numbers aren't good, and I'm like, those
are all symptoms. What's the problem. Help me, help me,
you know. So I didn't get it. So I ended
up going to the CEO of that company at the
time and said, I think I need an executive coach.
I've heard of them. I'd like to try it. What
(04:16):
do you think? And I don't know to this day
what made that man believe in me. But he's like,
you know what, We've never done it and it's a
lot of money, but you've done well here before, so
let's try it. And that's when I met Nan O'Connor,
who is the creator of the content of Leader Skills.
And I'm telling you what, within six months my life changed,
Like she just spent all that time going through things
(04:36):
with me that I just you don't learn when you're young,
you know, like self awareness or you know how you
need to be self aware to not negatively impact others,
you know, just things like empathy, curiosity, things that I
just don't come naturally do a lot of us. And
she completely changed my life and made it a much
less problem free world for me. So that experience is
(04:58):
really where it started to ticket because that difference she
made for me felt it was just huge, and I
think it goes back to me like wanting to help
people and leave them better than I found them. That
it kind of stuck in the back of my mind.
And then you know, I ended up moved all the
way up to COO and loved that, but realized I
wasn't really having the impact one on one with people
(05:20):
like I used to. So that was when I'm like,
you know what, I think I can I think I
can make this change. And I ended up quitting Corporate America,
went back to school to become an executive coach, and
in that process, as I was building up my client
client list, Nan called one day and said, I need
help with leader skills, and so that's how I ended
(05:41):
up involved with her, and it's been so rewarding because
I can help a lot more people more quickly that
way as well. So it was definitely scary though, but
I can tell anyone that's listening, if you feel like
it's the bottom for you, I promise you out of
that always. There can always be amazing things that happen
if you're willing to just you know, take a step
back and really think about what's right for you your family.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Yeah, oh my goodness, I love that story. Thank you
so much for sharing and on so many different levels.
Because I hear that you did exactly what we see
on social media. Right, Sometimes you just have to do
it scared. Yeah, sometimes you have to walk by faith
and not by sight. Right, whichever level, whichever side of
(06:21):
the coin, you need to understand that it has to
be done, and you were willing to do that. The
courage that it takes sometimes to become our best selves,
to be the person that we were always meant to be.
If it were easy, if it were always comfortable, then
everyone would do it. So there really is that refining
(06:43):
process that we must go through in order to get there.
So bravo for a stepping out.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
That is awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I love it. I love it. Now I want to
kind of throw two words out there to you that
seems like they have been come four letter words over
the past few years, and one is time management. When
I say that, the eye rolls that, I get the
(07:12):
uh that doctor Angela right, like those types of comments,
and the word delegation that seems to strike fear into
people as well. Now we know that as leaders, as
good leaders, those are two things that we have to
deal with. Now, of course, I want to ask you,
how do you help people with that. But I do
(07:35):
want to give a little bit of a disclaimer the
same way I would tell someone to buy the book.
You know, of course, full answers and all of that
will be included in any packages or services that one
could purchase with you to really have a more one
on one experience. But generally speaking, how do we deal
with time management and delegation?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Well, those are two very important things, so I'll take
each one at a time. First of all, with time management,
we are so oblivious, I think, to the fact that
we really are all bad at it and we are
not really trained on how to do it. Well. If
you don't have a process, you need one. And what
I usually one thing we teach at leader skills and
(08:18):
my coaching practice is you get a system, whether it's Trello,
which is a free online program you can use that
has an app on your phone, you can use it
on your laptop. You can create all kinds of lists
on what you need to do, when to do it.
You can organize and I always tell people organize it
by what you must do and by what you want
to do, and then things you're waiting on others for,
(08:40):
because that's something that doesn't really need to sit on
your list. You can sit it off to the side
if it's not something you can do anything about. And
then a focus five, which is one of the five
things that have to be done right now that really
need my attention, because if you are looking at that
whole to do list, it is going to be overwhelming
and you're going to be spinning your wheels and just
not be very effective. So we really push for that
(09:01):
focus vive and then you know, from that to do
list it does lead into delegation, but I'll get to
that in a minute, but keeping that list is critical.
But beyond that, what I do tell a lot of
my clients one of the first things I have them
do is a time study, and I just have anything
they do, throw it up on the calendar, Like if
you get distracted, if someone calls you, if it takes
ten minutes out of your day, make a note of it.
(09:22):
And I find it easy. It's just to throw it
on your outlook calendar so that you can kind of
sum it all up at the end. But if you
do that for two weeks, I think almost all of
us would be surprised by where we are spending our
time and what's pulling us away from what we really
need to do and you know, maybe realize we do
have some extra time in there on something that maybe
isn't worth you know, whether it's personal or professional. There
(09:45):
are some things we do that we realize when we
look at it on paper, well that's silly. Why am
I doing that? So I mean that I looked at
mine and I was like blown away when I did
it the first time. So those are two things. Have
a system, and there's tons of them out there. But
again I always recommend TRELLO. I think it's easiest, sense
free and that and anyone can pick it up very quickly.
But then also a time study to really understand what
(10:07):
you're doing with your time now. And then the last
tip on time management is just if you want to
get it done, you better calendar it, you know, and
that's not just your task. That's like if you're a leader,
you need to have strategic time too. You know, maybe
it's once a month where you take an hour on
your calendar and say, okay, I'm going to think about
all the strategic things I want to do and maybe
(10:28):
and push those forward. So that's important as well because
if you don't calendar, it's likely not going to happen.
So that's my time management.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Absolutely. Now before you before you talk about delegations, I
have to I have to agree with you so so
much there. That one with realizing where we wasting our
own time, right, like what are the little things that
we are doing where it's it's kind of like when
you say something out loud, you can hear how it
(10:57):
truly sounds as opposed to it sounds great in your head,
and then you say it out loud and you go,
oh wow, no wonder they didn't understand or no, wonder
they're having a hard time with that. Right, So you are?
You are so right there. I remember I went to
an event and it was a bunch of leaders in
there and they were talking about time management and everyone
(11:20):
the facilitator said, everyone, bring up your calendars and let's
see you know what we're what we're all doing here
in my little section, it was we were all little
peas in the pod. We had things color coded, we
had stuff blocked off, and we're sitting there looking at
each other, going good job job, and it's like, wait,
is your red like red hot like to do?
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Right now?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
I was like yeah. I was like, I do red
yellow green. She's like, yes, I do red, yellow green.
And the lady at the end was like I do
ABC and we're like that's fine too, staying on the road.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
It works for you, what works for you.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Words, So I just want to say a sobsolutely, please
get something and write it all down. People laugh sometimes
because it's like, do you really have spend time with
family on your calendar? And it's like absolutely. It's not
necessarily to remind me, but it is to make sure
(12:16):
that no one else impedes upon my family time because
this is my time to spend with them. So I
love that. Delegation the other word that seems to make
people feel something not always positive. Let's talk about delegation.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
So I think the biggest thing with delegation is thinking
about it with a different lens. A lot of people,
I think when I first start working with them, they
look at it as things they have to get off
their plate. And that is true to a degree. You
want to get things off your plate so you can
focus on what you're being paid to do or what
you need to do. But in reality, it is so
much more than that. It is about giving people under you,
(12:59):
or that we're with you or in other areas how
to learn to do things. You know you're going to
grow them that way as well. So it is very
critical and growing people to really teach them those things,
train them on those things, because what do we all
want to do? Take a vacation and not be bothered? Right?
And how does that happen by training your teams to
(13:19):
handle everything when you're gone? And how does that happen
by delegating? So it's it's a piece of that. But
also on the flip side, your team senses mistrust. If
you don't trust them to delegate to them, they will
sense that and they'll feel, you know, like lesser than
in effect, you know, like well they don't trust me
to do that, or I'm over here just toiling my
(13:40):
thumbs and they're overwhelmingly busy, but they won't let me
help in any way. You know, that does not send
a good message to them, and people like to be challenged.
It is. There's plenty of studies out there, but if
you are not constantly being invested in as an employee,
if they're not training you on things and growing you
and developing you, then you're likely not going to stay there.
(14:00):
You will turn over very quickly at a company if
you do not feel valued in that way. So I
think delegation has a lot to do with those things
and really changing how you think about it. I think
has a lot to do with helping make you better
at it.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Absolutely absolutely, And I think that we're starting to see
that more with our younger generation and that they are
much more vocal about what they believe is true or
or is it true? Now that might be, that might
be a little bit of a rub for some folks,
but I think the open and honest communication that they
(14:34):
want to have, they want to step up, they want
to be utilized, and they want to feel like they
are a part of the team as opposed to just
employee number.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Now it's like a cog in the whale. Yeah, exactly right, exactly.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
So I love that you are that you are having
that conversation with people as well, and we do need
to be reminded to value each person that is at
the table.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Now, another thing that you talk about is accountability. Now,
many times we have conversations on accountability and we're thinking
only when someone has done something negative, like they've dropped
the ball and now it's we need to talk and
we have to talk about accountability. But accountability is something
that can also be preventative care or something that happens
(15:21):
in the forefront.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Right.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
So with that being said, how do we shift our
mindset or how do we build into our structure and
our culture that positive accountability before it becomes a negative.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Absolutely? Well, first of all, it's important to have check ins,
regular scheduled check ins. Depending on who it is and
their needs and what projects they're doing. It could be
once a week, it could be twice more every two
weeks or once a month. But if you have that
regular scheduled time with that person and you have to
stick to it, you cannot reschedule on them because that
sends a message of you don't matter as much as
(15:57):
something else. But have that meeting and just get make
sure you have kind of a outline for how that
meeting goes. You know, things you're going through and talking about,
so they get in the habit of having conversations with
you on a regular basis where there you're checking in
with them on all the things they're doing on a
regular basis, and that way you don't have to have
a random phone call saying we need to talk, because
(16:19):
then they're gonna know right it's bad and that never
feels good. And the amount of stress that creates for
someone until that meeting then is overwhelming, and as a
leader usually overwhelms you too because you're like, oh, I
have to go have this conversation and you just don't.
You haven't taken that time to talk to them regularly,
develop that trust with each other and that comfort that
(16:40):
you get when you talk on a regular basis about things.
So that's the first piece. And then second of all,
in that meeting, you should really be talking about you know, deadlines, projects,
and it should always be part of that agenda to
say what did we do right, what did we do wrong?
What do we want to do better? And that way
you're always giving that feedback. And I think the biggest
thing with accountability is people want to make it punitive,
(17:02):
and it should not be punitive. It should always be
about growth. I mean, as a leader, I was certainly
not perfect and I made mistakes all the time. And
my boss, I'm not saying he liked it, but he
allowed it for me to grow. And we have to
do the same with our direct reports and with people
we're helping grow. You know, we have to allow some
room for error, and when they do make mistakes, because
(17:24):
they will, it's your job to protect them, you know,
to help them be better at it. But also to
anyone above that sees whatever the mistake was, say hey,
you know what, they're new, they're learning. We're gonna get
through this together, because if you don't do that, they're
going to trust you less and they're going to be
less likely to take chances, and they're gonna, you know,
not feel as good about it and again lead to turnover.
(17:46):
So it's very important, very important to do it that way.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Oh absolutely, And thank you for saying the other side.
So many times we just get the information from the
employee side like, oh goodness. Seem as when your spouse
or your mate or your parents say, you know, wait
wait until you get home, or you know, we need
to talk later today and you might as well just
(18:09):
go home because you're not being productive at work because
you're dreading the conversation. But very seldom do we hear
that the person who has to have that conversation with
you doesn't want to have that conversation with you either,
but they're not looking forward, they're not fired up to
talk to that person right because they know that they
(18:30):
have to be the bad guy in in that moment. No, sure,
there are some personality types that are able to deal
with it, that can compartmentalize it, keep it professional and
all of that, but there are so many more that
are just they need a hot tea before to talk
as well. So very much, I so know that it's
(18:51):
a little kind of even there as well. I love
that now you said a really good thing there, and
that is about the mistakes if we because we are human,
there are going to be some mistakes that happen, and
we need to be aware of that. Every day is
not going to be a perfect day. Will you talk
about team building and how to make sure that our
(19:12):
teams are the best that they can be. The question
of what to do when there are mistakes? Do you
get that question often? If so, again, I don't divulge
at all, but what is one thing that perhaps you
can do to help keep your team going on the
right track or keep it positive if a mistake has
(19:32):
been made?
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Curiosity one word. I think that's the biggest thing you
have to get. Curious, why did the mistake happen. Don't
focus on necessarily the mistake itself, like oh my gosh,
that's horrible, this mistake. Instead say hey, this I noticed this,
or this happened whatever, whatever it was. You know, let's
I'm curious, you know, tell me how you did it.
I want to go through the process and just get
(19:56):
curious in all the ways you can, so that you
really understand and how it happened and make it more
about that versus you know, again just focusing on you
did something wrong that feels that does feel good to anybody.
It's amazing what curiosity and empathy can do in those situations.
And just you know, we all make assumptions so often
(20:16):
based on our own narrative in our head, and we
usually have no clue what the heck happened. You know.
We we know what we would have done if that
we made that mistake, but we don't know why they did.
So curiosity is critical, I think, to finding not only
the right solutions to help grow that person and help them,
but also to make sure everybody feels positive and walks
away feeling good about it.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Absolutely, And I could not agree with you more. And
you know, as someone who talks about empathetic leadership all
the time. I cannot reiterate enough. How if we just pause,
slow down, just a mint to as you said, check
in with those that are members, team leaders, a part
(21:00):
of the team, how whatever name you want to give
to them, and really find out what's going on in
their world. It makes all the difference in the world
with the culture that you create and how even those
people are able to interact with each other. You know,
if someone is going through a divorce, or they are
(21:22):
the caretakers for their parents, as many are now a
part of the Sandwich generation. You know, there's so many
things that are going on in people's lives, and if
we're aware of it, what can we do to help
let that person know that we see them, that we
care about them. We still want them to do their job,
but we also realize you're a human being that just
probably needs a little bit of flexibility where flexibility can
(21:44):
be given. And what a beautiful way that they will
then say, I'm not leaving here because they care about us. Exactly,
because they care, thank you for allowing me to have
a long lunch on Tuesdays, because that's the day I
take care of my mom or whatever it is. So
you are you are so right there now. My last
question for you is about hybrid workplaces. I think that
(22:09):
over the past few years, in part due to the
pandemic happening, we realize that work can be done from home.
Imagine that. But there really truly were people who were
able to keep that keep that lane open, and be
(22:31):
productive of people. We notice that with a lot of businesses,
their numbers did not drop that in some cases they
either maintained or improved slightly because people were able to
do what they needed to do in the way in
which they needed to do it. With that being said,
are you seeing any new trends when it comes to
hybrid work or are you seeing that there's a projection
(22:56):
for us to return more so to more traditional ways
of doing business.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Well, I do think that there is a push by
you know, different leaders to try to get people to
come back. But I think obviously there's a lot of
rub right now going on there. And the biggest thing
that I've seen, even in talking with clients and talking
with just colleagues, is that people want them all back
(23:22):
in the office because they want to see them and
know they're working. And I think it's something that people
have to grab their brain around. If you can't trust them,
whether you see them or not, they shouldn't be working
for you. And that's the first thing. And second of all,
I keep hearing really silly things like between every you
(23:43):
know article and news story, it's over and over again.
I keep hearing, you know, well, they're probably doing laundry
and they're, you know, taking a long lunch. Let's just
ask this question. So what so what like is it
about the results or is it about how they get
to the results? You know, because I'll tell you all
day long, the moment you say, hey, I need all
(24:05):
these things done and you just let them go do it. However,
they're going to do it as long as you get
the results you want and obviously morally correct ways those
kinds of things, but without breaking any laws. But as
long as the result you need is provided. So what
if they maybe do laundry a little bit in the
middle of the day because they need to take their
brain offline for a minute to think through things, or
(24:28):
maybe they need a little bit of a flex schedule.
But they're working different hours, And I mean, I don't
know how many times we've seen this come out where
people that are working from home were giving more time,
not less, because you know they're not commuting now, their
office is at home, readily available. If they have downtime,
they're going to go do that a little more and
they're happier doing it. They're more productive doing it because
(24:48):
they want to focus and then get done as soon
as they can so they can go do what they
want to do. Right if you make them stay changed
to their desk eight to five because that makes you
feel better, it actually is really working against you and
it's the opposite of what you're trying to do. So
I think that's kind of a lot. But that's all
the different things I'm hearing seeing for the most part.
But I think it's a great shift personally as a coach.
(25:09):
I think people working from home, there are some people
who need that person time, They need to be in
that environment. My husband's first one that'll tell you he
has to be in the office because he claims it's
his ADHD dragging him all over the place. But I
think he just needs that focus of sitting next to people.
But the majority of people don't need that, and we're
(25:30):
just better off without it.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Absolutely, absolutely, I think that the model served its purpose
for its day and for its time. You know, but
the world can run for many of us on our
iPhones right we are, we are planning things out in
the world continues to spend thanks to our wonderful phones,
(25:53):
so we don't have to continue to be so locked in.
I think, like you said, it is great for the
people who want, but for the people who can, it's
about the productivity and when it comes down to the
bottom line. I think people are sometimes perhaps a little
frightened to say, look at the numbers, man, look at
(26:14):
the numbers. It's like I'm home in my jammy. I mean,
not me personally, but it's like, you know, if I'm
home in my jammys and I am making it happen
for you, and the bottom line is the bottom line
often is jammys. It is. And it's so funny because
(26:34):
I'm a night owl. So there are many many times
that a workshop or something that I have created has
been because it's two a m. And be it that
I had a latte a little bit too late, or
I just simply couldn't turn my brain off for that
(26:56):
particular day. Something was created and because of that opportunity
for someone else to be involved was created in that.
So I think that flexibility really can be a win
win for everyone. I love it. I love it well, Holly,
thank you so much for coming on Passion, your magazine,
the podcast, and spending some time with me today. I
(27:16):
have enjoyed my conversation with you. Now. Of course, we
know that your information is right here on the screen,
but those that may be listening in if someone wants
to reach out to you, if they want to follow
you on socials, what's the best way to do that?
Speaker 3 (27:30):
Well, I would say the best way is the Leader
Skills website has some really awesome tips you can sign
up for. You get one every two weeks. Nan has
crafted them herself. They are amazing, and I think that
is a great way to get some great information from
us and some helpful tips. But beyond that, just emailing
is the easiest way. I'm not a big social media
(27:52):
meet up person. You know, I can do it. I've
done it. I was big into marketing for a while,
but the rewards of that was exhausting. So judgment, you
can throw it at me, but it's not my jam.
But yeah, I would say email and then the website
obviously is the best thing.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
I love it. Thank you again for coming on Passioner
Magazine the Podcast.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed
being here.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Thank you for listening to Passioneer Magazine the Podcast,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.