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A Leadership Analogy + A Leadership Challenge

March 29, 2017 by Heidi Frye

side mirrors in a car

As a leader drives the car of leadership, each individual on his/her leadership team acts as a mirror, reflecting what is happening in their segment of the business. Each team member contributes a unique perspective – their view of the surroundings, blindspots, and the vehicle itself. Each of these perspectives contributes to the overall success and safety of the journey. The rearview mirror might be the CFO. The side mirror, Operations. Sitting in the passenger seat might be Sales & Marketing…not exactly a mirror but certainly a unique perspective, with a single-minded focus on the future and the upcoming landscape. A successful trip involves access to, and reliance on, all of a leaders’ mirrors.

Yet, I often find leaders who feel the pressure to drive alone. Not relying on their mirrors. Expecting themselves to have the total view. It’s pressure they put on themselves. Silly, isn’t it…the idea of getting into a car and driving without the use of your mirrors?

Leadership Challenge: Gather your team and head out to your corporate parking lot. Cover all of the mirrors in your car. Drive (slowly!) and attempt to navigate the parking lot…nearly impossible! You’ll find you won’t get too far. It’s too risky. Not safe. Reflect on how many times you instinctively turned to look at your mirrors! Then, roll down your windows – have your team outside the car, walking alongside, providing direction. Let them guide you…as a team. Not one single team member has the total view. It is a combined effort. Trust them to see things you don’t see. Trust them to highlight potential dangers. Trust them to help you navigate.

Trust them to help you drive.

Filed Under: Communication, Leadership, Teamwork Tagged With: car, CEO, CFO, executive, go-it-alone, leaders, leadership, mirrors, Operations, perspective, President, pressure, reflecting, reflection, teams, teamwork

Leveraging Teams

January 27, 2017 by Heidi Frye

team development program

I am a first-generation American, and grateful to have “inherited” some wonderfully noteworthy instilled traditional traits from my really fantastic German parents…hard-work ethic, integrity, courage, forthrightness, quality, and…well…self-reliance. I hesitate. This last trait/mindset has mostly worked in my favor…mostly. In my family “pot-luck” was a dirty word…”Heidi, you don’t invite people into your home and then have them bring their own food!”. In theory Mom was right. What was intended as “serving others” (literally!) for me, turned into a “do it on your own” message…equating self-reliance with capability, service, pride, stamina, and even worthiness (ugh!).

I see this trait show up in my leadership clients, so I know I’m not the only one! Maybe you? Are you overboard on “self-reliance”? How are you at delegation? Do you feel some moral code to “do it all yourself”? Delegation is definitely multi-layered (distrust, wanting it done a certain way, losing control, feeling guilty, etc. etc.), so let’s focus on the I-can-do-it-better-on-my-own-loner part of self-reliance. When Mom chose to forego help  in favor of making the entire elaborate spread on her own, yes, everything was delicious and fantastic but at what cost? Exhausted hostess, and an aversion to big family gatherings. It was just too much. Not sustainable. Last night I had an experience that showed me how non-leverage-able and non-greatness-oriented this mindset has been. It was an excellent lesson in how to harness the power of many.

I joined 100+ women in a charitable-giving effort called 100 Women Who Care.  (btw, there are chapters popping up all over the place, this one was here in MI). Simple concept with a BIG impact and built on not doing it on your own! Imagine the (minimal) impact of your many random $50 donations. THEN imagine the impact of 100+ women simultaneously writing $100 checks for the same charity!!! Voila, $10,000! It’s a quarterly effort of two hours (minimal effort), and $100 individually to raise $10,000+/quarter! Genius, right? Now that is leverage!

It might seem like a stretch but I can’t help but apply this concept to leadership. Essentially we are asking our teams to do the same thing…to leverage the team vs. the individual performances. Subtle but different. Leading your team members to plug into the bigger overarching goal and collecting as a team to make big things happen versus handing in individual performances that hopefully connect at the top is an art. Coming together emotionally and driving toward the bigger goal. Connect as a team first, then connect to the bigger goal. Whatever is preventing you/your team from truly leveraging the team dynamic, inspire around it. Get emotionally rallied. Aristotle’s famous words “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” has taken on a whole new meaning.

Filed Under: Leadership, Motivation, Teamwork Tagged With: 100 Women Who Care, charitable Giving, charity, leverage, leveraging teams, self-reliance, teams, teamwork

Renew, Reengage, Re-fresh –  The Better Version of YOU Requires Letting Go!

February 11, 2016 by Heidi Frye

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We’re at the front end of 2016. Isn’t there something fantastic about “a fresh start”? Something hopeful. Something neat and clean. The possibilities are endless. I don’t know about you, but this time of year is exciting for that very reason!

The UPwords Inc. logo and website underwent a major refresh mid-December, and thank-you Gretchen Devault @ TinyBlueSky  (http://www.tinybluesky.com) for incorporating my love for changing-it-up, clean slate, and refresh-ing into the new logo – love it! As I work with leadership and high-potential teams, this hopefulness of refresh-ing is the essence of what occurs. Leaders discover new aspects of themselves – they dust off and clean up old habits and limiting beliefs that no longer serve, and emerge renewed. A better version of themselves.

In most cases, “the better version of you” requires letting go. Giving up control is not typically a preferred go-to strategy. Time and time again, it amazes me the good that comes out of “loosening the grip” – leaders discover parts of themselves that wouldn’t/couldn’t happen when they hold on too fiercely to “the old self” (ego??). Development requires vulnerability, trust, exposure, and openness to new/change. Even as I write this, I’m waiting for a development team to walk in to begin our day’s meeting which, to be successful, will require these qualities – The Open 360ºFeedback Process™! Fortunately because they’ve been primed by other teams who’ve gone through the process, they’re actually excited to delve into “feedback” – sparking shifts in their development and perceptions of “self”!!

I had my own I-want-to-resist moment when we refreshed the website – specifically the pictures. We were taking photos in the Grand Rapids Downtown Market building, and the photographer (thank-you Rachelle Wakeman @ Rachelle Rae Photography – www.rachelleraephotography.com) suggested we go out on the rooftop. I was wary. It was a windy windy day, and it didn’t seem conducive to taking professional photos (you know, it wasn’t a “controlled” environment!).  She asked me to trust her. My perfectly coiffed hair was blowing all over the place (some of the outtakes were ridiculous), the bathroom was too far away to “freshen up”, and she asked me to get into some awkward-and-not-so-natural poses. In my head, I was  definitely resisting. If you could read my “thought-bubble” it would say “Are you kidding??! This is definitely not going to work!” Then, I looked at her, trusted, and let go. Settled into the possibility. Alas, she snapped one of my favorite photos.

Fantastic things can happen when we let go, trust, and let “it” unfold.

Hope you’ve had a great start to the new year and best wishes for a “re-freshing” year!

Filed Under: Communication, Leadership, Life, Personality, Uncategorized Tagged With: ego, feedback, Gretchen Devault, leaders, leadership, letting go, losing control, Rachelle Rae Photography, Rachelle Wakeman, re-fresh, reengagement, renew reengage, resistance, teams, The Open 360 Feedback Process, TinyBlueSky

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Juli B.

“Working with Heidi was one of the most rewarding experiences in my career.  I am a better leader, co-worker and person…She has been one of the most influential people in my life.  I would recommend her expertise to anyone inspired to invest in advancing their career… Read more “Juli B.”

Juli B.
C.F.O.
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Suzette Jaskie

“What a great asset Heidi has been to our team…Heidi in essence became part of our team and was able to assist key leaders in advancing their leadership approach and in turn – able to produce better results for the… Read more “Suzette Jaskie”

Suzette Jaskie
President and CEO of MedAxiom Consulting (Former CEO at West Michigan Heart)
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Larry Gibbons
VP HR, Kinectrics Inc.
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Lori Stokes

“I have reached out to Heidi during the many phases of my management career for leadership coaching.  Her advice and wisdom has helped me identify ways to grow professionally as a individual and leader.  She is  honest, professional, and highly… Read more “Lori Stokes”

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Materials Manager
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Spectrum Health Physician

“I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I first learned that we were to have this type of team meeting [Open 360 Feedback Process], but it definitely exceeded my expectations…You did a fabulous job with us and… Read more “Spectrum Health Physician”

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Spectrum Health
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Linda M. Peasley, Ph.D. & Sally A. Camper

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Linda M. Peasley, Ph.D. & Sally A. Camper
Department Administrator Prof. and Chair,The University of Michigan Medical School, Department of Human Genetics
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Melvin Gottschalk, Jr.

“Pat Riley said ‘Great effort springs naturally from great attitude.’ Heidi Frye’s executive coaching enlightened me to the truth behind these words…I would not be where I am today without Heidi and highly recommend her leadership coaching to anyone focused on… Read more “Melvin Gottschalk, Jr.”

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Stephan W. Waltman

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the service that you have provided Stiles Machinery for the last 15 years. Your contributions…have been immeasurable…Personally, I feel privileged to have had access to your advice and counsel. We… Read more “Stephan W. Waltman”

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Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Stiles Machinery, Inc.
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J.C.

“In one sentence:  Heidi made me a better leader, employee, spouse and friend…Heidi is an outstanding coach that helped me achieve more than I thought I could, in a short period of time.”

J.C.
Director of Marketing, Meijer
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Julie L. Novak

“I started working with Heidi about 18 months into my tenure as CEO, and …I soon realized it was essential to my growth as a leader. In the early days, she put a variety of concepts and tools in my… Read more “Julie L. Novak”

Julie L. Novak
Chief Executive Officer, Michigan State Medical Society
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David Purpura

“I wanted to share this and tell you how much you have helped me in my career in so many ways.  Your knowledge of the industry and mentoring is among the best and I hope that we remain professional contacts!!!!!! … Read more “David Purpura”

David Purpura
Director of U.S. Business Development
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Matt Schad

“…Nucraft has worked with Heidi to create internal peer groups to improve our internal communications and teamwork skills…Heidi facilitates these groups and the feedback has been uniformly positive from the participants…Heidi and UPwords Inc. have become a trusted Nucraft advisor.”

Matt Schad
CEO, Nucraft Furniture
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