The following Q&A is from an interview with Stacey Allaster, the chairwoman and C.E.O. of the Women’s Tennis Association, in The New York Times, July 24, 2011:
Q. Talk about your "light-bulb moments."
A. Because I’m competitive, I was all about results and all about winning. I probably spent too much time in the beginning being focused on the endgame but not recognizing that, to win the match, you really need to take the time to nurture your team, energize your team and understand what motivates your team. Not everyone is motivated the way I am.
It doesn’t mean that I’m right and they’re wrong. You can all have the best ideas in the world, but if you don’t have the people who really are energized and motivated to deliver, you won’t achieve success.
I have a diversified team now, with a variety of different skills. We all don’t need to be the same, nor should we be the same. It’s about understanding what everybody needs to be motivated and successful.
Q. So how do you do that?
A. I think it’s about time and communication and style. And during those moments when you’re under intense pressure, you dial it back.
Q. What do you mean?
A. You have to dial back the energy of the discussion and just be more reflective and patient. I think I’m more self-aware. So if we’ve gone off track for some reason, the first place I’ll start is: Did I not set a clear direction? Did someone not clearly understand what we were trying to achieve? Was I asking too much of the team or the individual?
Do we have the right skill set to achieve that goal? So I’m much more aware now of looking there first, versus immediately going to, “they didn’t deliver.” I just think that, now that I’ve matured, I’m a much better communicator and far more aware of everyone around me and their needs, versus just being focused on getting the result.
Q. What were some other important leadership lessons you’ve learned?
A. Well, there’s probably a culmination of overcoming adversity and challenge through my whole life. To give you an example, I wasn’t the kid who had one paper route. I had three paper routes. We needed money and I wanted to play sports and my mom provided everything for me, but there was a limit, so she said I had to earn some money to be able to play sports. So there I was in the middle of a Canadian winter, schlepping around to 1,500 houses every week. In the winter months I used the sled, and in the summer months I used the wagon.
I can remember achieving a lot in sports just with the sheer tenacity that I will win and I’ll overcome it. I’m on the smaller side, so people said to me, “You can’t play tennis.” So anybody can say that to me, but I’ll just prove them wrong. I’ve always found a way, whatever the challenge is.
Q. What advice would you give to someone who’s about to move from chief operating officer to chief executive?
A. I’ve had that experience. I thought I knew what the C.E.O. role was when I was a C.O.O., but as I prepared before the interview process, I engaged a C.E.O. coach. I can remember that in the early days of preparing, I said to the coach, “It’s a natural transition for me to go from C.O.O. to C.E.O.”
She said: No, it’s not. It’s not a natural transition. In the operating role, you’re very focused on the day-to-day, the tactical, to get the job done. At the C.E.O. level, you’re going to step back. It’s going to be about strategy. It’s going to be about your vision. It’s going to be about values. It’s going to be about people. It’s going to be about you making sure you’ve got the right course and the right team, and that they’re energized and motivated. It’s an entirely different thought process.
Self-Coaching Guide for Career Women
To reclaim your time and life: "When Doing It All Won't Do: A self-coaching guide for career women" (WORKBOOK EDITION) by Barbara McEwen & John G. Agno, ISBN-10: 0983586527, Availability: August 2011
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Highly effective people know that the most important and intimidating work we do is “inner work”. Knowing who you are, what you want and why you want it are all important steps in your personal and professional journey. The book provides numerous easy-to-relate-to examples with actionable recommendations.
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