A Lesson in Culture & Leadership
Written By Corey Ann Sherwood | Executive Assistant, BEC CFO & CPA
“A poor leader will tell you how many people work for them.
A great leader will tell you how many people they work for.”
Leading this editorial with a quote from Simon Sinek just felt right, and I’ll tell you why – the guy just gets it. I’ve had many career “lives” since graduating from college many years ago; worn many hats and had several life-altering experiences, so what I do understand is the difference between poor and effective leadership. There are several things I’m looking for when deciding who my “fearless leader” should be:
A Leader By Example
Am I going to want to work for the guy who is not up late, digging in, getting stuff done into the wee hours of the night with their employees? Probably not. If someone is not as invested in their business as I am in working for them, it doesn’t cut it for me. And it’s not just about working late – it’s about working smart. Are we motivated towards accomplishing a common goal, do we have shared motivations, can we band together as a team and get it all done. That is what a leader instills when they lead by example.
Back It Up
When it really hits the fan, are you sure that your CEO will go to bat for you? I definitely am, and those are the only types of people I want to work with. Everything from jumping in on the workload, to backing you when there’s conflict, it’s important that who you work for is there to support and lift you up when needed. That also means accepting constructive criticism from your CEO when it’s given, as that makes you and everyone on the team better for the sake of the organization.
Motivation
What motivates the type of leader I want to work for? When they want to create a better life for their employees, those employees’ families, and their own family – that’s what gets me every time. Yes, we all love to make money, and have success and power, however those words mean something different to everyone. To me, the success of an organization means that everyone is making a great, honest living for themselves and whoever is important to them. Success is relative – some days, success means just surviving and others it means thriving. Power, or notoriety – neither of which I strive for – can either be a blessing or a curse. I think the purer the intentions, the better the leader and that correlates with the success of an organization. Meet a leader who wants to help people, make the world a better place, and support their employees in the process – that’s a winning equation for me.
Truth Teller
It’s no coincidence that this is one of BEC’s core values and one of my main leadership characteristics needed in a CEO; it is the main reason I decided to join BEC. I am a truth teller, even if it is unpleasant, and this way of operating is not for everyone. In this organization, I was able to find a group of people who are also truth tellers, who want that honesty and thrive on it. It’s one of many things that bands us together. I know that if I’m having a one-on-one conversation with Marcus, I can completely and constructively speak my mind and be heard and accepted. It’s a beautiful and rare thing.
A Few Words on Culture……
Since I stepped into my role at BEC, I’ve been able to carve out my place here; whether it’s been admin, client communications, HR or tech management, I’ve touched many different areas of this business. So when I stepped into an HR/hiring role and it became part of my job to define our culture to potential job candidates, I had to think deeply about what to say. Annette, our COO put this into my mind: BEC is not just a place that you work, it is a “community”. This culture has been carefully crafted by Marcus and the other members of the Leadership Team since the inception of the company, and it is carefully guarded. What makes BEC special is the close-knit group of individuals that make up our team; most of us have never met in-person, and many have only known each other for a short time, but we have worked hard to develop interpersonal relationships within our remote environment.
We are a community that works together toward the common goal of serving others, including our clients and each other at the highest level possible. And the best part of it all – we have fun doing it. It’s that unique environment that sets us apart. As a CEO or Leadership Team member we should all be striving to cultivate a team that exemplifies these key characteristics and strives for excellence every day.