When a leader demonstrates authentic vulnerability and empathy, it reverberates throughout a team. I've seen it and learned it from some courageous leaders who put their egos aside and put other people first.
Bob Alvarez, President of Shapiro, is one of those leaders who I've had the privilege of working with. When you get to know Bob you quickly gain a respect for his business acumen, which is demonstrated with tremendous humility.
This is a short video clip of Bob showcasing their collaborative approach, even with competitors, to create circular economy solutions that benefit everyone.
It's no surprise that he's attracted other leaders who show vulnerability and empathy, like Shapiro's Chief Marketing Officer, Judy Ferraro. It's an honor and a privilege for Forbes to include thoughts from all three of us in this article.
Judy's comments about personalized feedback are spot on.
"One way we measure and obtain feedback albeit informally is through leadership one-on-ones with our team members, included in these are skip-level discussions. Our leaders ask very open-ended questions and listen." Ferraro says.
Specific, personalized feedback was previously a glaring weakness in my own leadership. As a morning news anchor in St. Louis and Seattle I had a mindset committed to excellence. When I got frustrated with something that needed to be addressed, I failed to address it maturely with specific feedback.
Yikes, not good.
A business mentor of mine, Point B co-owner Darren Littlefield, invited me to join a seminar on giving and receiving feedback with some of his team members. That was a game changer for me and helped me see that glaring weakness of mine.
Ever since, I've strived to give specific feedback, both constructive and positive. By being consistent with the feedback, I saw a change in posture from my team when I address things.
Thanks to great leaders and mentors, I've seen how to effectively lead with vulnerability and empathy.
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