Desiree Coleman-Fry (She/Her)

At a recent dinner with friends, the owner greeted us and said, "The cooks usually slow down at night. If your food comes out cold, I'll fix it." Though cryptic, he foresaw a problem and communicated early. It helped us adjust our expectations and we weren't surprised when our food came out cold an hour later. While it was less than ideal service, the heads up was helpful. The same of true of projects at work. At the earliest sign of a delay, issue or setback, it's important to communicate with key stakeholders to: 1) Make them aware of the issue + 2) Engage them in strategies to course correct. Human nature tends to hide signs of trouble, but that can lead to more confusion down the line. Upfront communication is the best policy!

At its core, innovation flows from creativity- spotting a trend, finding problems and ideating on new approaches. However, innovation requires psychological safety- where people are free to issue a credible challenge or respectfully disagree. Innovation happens when people can bring forward ideas and be heard and the spark of creativity is best when there is space for everyone to meaningfully contribute. As leaders, we are responsible for fostering environments where innovation and creativity to flourish. We do that by assembling diverse teams, making it safe to fail and empowering everyone to meaningful contribute.

In leadership, I have found that l regularly reflecting is actually your superpower. Taking time to be introspective to think about how your approach is landing on people is a window into empathy and understanding. Likewise, simply asking the question (what’s working/ what’s not working) and creating space for your team to give honest feedback is another great leadership tool, especially when considering culture.

People leaders can use group projects/ shared deliverables to promote growth, self-reflection, & peer learning on teams. For example, - If someone is knocking it out of the park but they need to stretch in their ability to influence, asking them to lead a project, where they don’t have positional power, will flex their ability to partner. - Likewise, when team members have little in common or are newer to a team, pairing them creates a shared experience that can break down walls. - Also, if there are difficult team or interpersonal dynamics, asking individuals to work together can create a doorway of openness. Thus, there are many ways leaders can use group projects to foster self-discovery, personal growth, & collaboration on teams.

As a previous solopreneur and working mom with multiple side hustles, I love the idea of crafting your own narrative to increase your visibility and impact. What I love about pursuing side hustles or launching into full-time business as a consultant, is that you get to define a niche that becomes a part of your brand. Once you figure out the thing you want to be known for, it’s an opportunity to make a career pivot, delve deeper into an area of expertise and determine what your “x factor” will be. You can do this by reflecting upon the unique perspective you bring, document your signature approach, and then lean in by studying, listening, taking notes, & honing your craft. In this way, consulting is a way to write or re-write your story!

We’ve all heard the old adage, “What you measure, matters.” However, knowing what the data says is only the first part of the leadership equation. The next step, which often gets overlooked, is when leaders spend time understanding the data inside and out…in order to help others make sense of it. This process of understanding what the data are saying, highlighting the pain points, and identifying potential implications is where strategy and insights come together. After a thorough analysis of the data, it’s incumbent upon leaders to make a compelling case for what comes next - using data driven insights. This goes beyond storytelling to helping organizations make sense of data to take action on what the business insights are revealing.