Transformative Leadership Conversations with Winnie da Silva

Episode 7: Feedback Helps You Grow with Kevin Halleran

Kevin Halleran has over 15 years’ experience in the real estate industry and is currently the EVP and CFO at Donahue Schriber. He works closely with the CEO and the Executive Committee to direct the company’s strategic vision and daily operations. Donahue Schriber is a private real estate investment trust (REIT) with a portfolio of high-quality shopping centers in the Western United States. Previous positions he’s held include the CAO at Starwood Retail Partners and Senior Manager at KPMG.

Leadership Tips

· What the family bowling alley business taught me about being the boss @19:05

· You have three times to tell me your opinion about something – at that point I either change my mind or you have to accept my decision @17:24

· When we do something well it's the team that did it, when something goes wrong, it's my fault @21:50

· Start slow when building success to create buy-in and convince skeptics @8:17

· Show rather than tell @3:09

· What you love about your boss, do with your own team @18:21

· Not everyone wants to be a problem solver and that’s ok @7:32, 8:04

· People starting their careers: take on projects, even if you’re not interested, and crush it – show your boss that you can operate outside your comfort zone @22:13

Leading Teams

· Collaborating with cross functional teams without direct authority @4:12

· Help your team to take ownership in fixing their own challenges @5:22, 6:01, 7:00

· Keep an eye on your team and know where they are challenged and give them support @20:28

· We’re all one team, create a culture where different teams support each other @20:37

· Benefits to helping different teams: you get help, you learn different parts of the business @20:55

Benefits of Feedback & Honest Conversations

· Being honest and building trust is important in getting to know people @10:43, 10:55

· A difficult conversation can create a close working relationship @12:23

· Getting feedback means being open to it, asking for it and not being defensive @14:43

· Reflection is the key to absorbing feedback @15:02

· If your defensive and you don't let people give you feedback, they won’t want to give it to you – and how does that help you grow? @15:11

· If you want feedback, you’ve got to ask for it – even better set up time to get it @15:43

To learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness check out my website, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Reach out and tell me what was helpful about today’s episode or any suggestions you have for my show.

Please leave a review and tell someone else about this show. 

I look forward to sharing another transformative conversation with you next week!

Episode 6: Question Everything: Hurdles are Just Things in Your Mind with Dilip DaSilva

Dilip DaSilva is an entrepreneur who in 2001 launched Tribal Fusion, the first business under Exponential Interactive and who most recently launched VDX.tv. As a single founder, he wrote the software that underpins their advertising technology and then led the company through their global expansion as well as the constant evolution of their products to match the rapid changes in consumer technology and media consumption habits.

Starting, Building and Sustaining a Company for over 20 years

· Building, designing and the idea stuff is only 5% of what it really takes to build a company; there's a lot of grind to making sure a company can survive and thrive @3:59

· Launching a company during the dot.com bust @4:54

· Turning down VC and private equity money and the advantage of being a private company @9:32, 10:43

· Money is not the ultimate objective; never make decisions based on money, instead focus on doing the right thing @12:35

Becoming a Leader While Building a Company 

· From software developer to leading people: “I had never managed anyone. In fact, I was afraid to talk to a group of more than five people; everything I learned about running a company, I had to learn on the job.” @7:35, 8:02

· Trust your instincts and intuition about how to treat people, how to build a company @8:45

· Create trust and empathy with employees @20:57, 21:55

· Be transparent with people, if you need to turn things around, you need everyone’s help @20:27, 21:04

Challenging Times Give a Competitive Advantage

· The hurdles you have are just things in your own mind @7:35, 8:25

· Challenging times are a good opportunity to question everything; people are open to change @14:05, 14:33, 18:19, 22:04, 23:00

· Identifying innovative solutions to enable the company to survive during the pandemic @15:23

· Give people the opportunity to try out different roles, think differently about promotion @23:25, 25:40

· Get involved in every role; not to do that job but to see what's going on, to inform strategy @24:18, 25:33

Keys to Success

· The most important thing a leader should be doing is thinking, not running around doing stuff, do the most important thing, get good at ignoring stuff @32:28

· To be successful: don't give up, have high endurance for pain, keep on fighting, be quick at making decisions with limited information, be fearless, take risks, be aware of weaknesses @28:09

· Meditation is like brushing your teeth for your mind: it makes you three times more productive, helps you maintain balance, it reduces poor responses @29:22

· Your most valuable asset is your attention; we're losing a lot of our potential wasting time on consuming stuff @31:14 

· It's not about being a person of color but do you have the support structure to take risks @34:10

To learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness check out my website, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Reach out and tell me what was helpful about today’s episode or any suggestions you have for my show.

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Episode 6: Question Everything: Hurdles are Just Things in Your Mind with Dilip DaSilva

Dilip DaSilva is an entrepreneur who in 2001 launched Tribal Fusion, the first business under Exponential Interactive and who most recently launched VDX.tv. As a single founder, he wrote the software that underpins their advertising technology and then led the company through their global expansion as well as the constant evolution of their products to match the rapid changes in consumer technology and media consumption habits.

Starting, Building and Sustaining a Company for over 20 years

· Building, designing and the idea stuff is only 5% of what it really takes to build a company; there's a lot of grind to making sure a company can survive and thrive @3:59

· Launching a company during the dot.com bust @4:54

· Turning down VC and private equity money and the advantage of being a private company @9:32, 10:43

· Money is not the ultimate objective; never make decisions based on money, instead focus on doing the right thing @12:35

Becoming a Leader While Building a Company 

· From software developer to leading people: “I had never managed anyone. In fact, I was afraid to talk to a group of more than five people; everything I learned about running a company, I had to learn on the job.” @7:35, 8:02

· Trust your instincts and intuition about how to treat people, how to build a company @8:45

· Create trust and empathy with employees @20:57, 21:55

· Be transparent with people, if you need to turn things around, you need everyone’s help @20:27, 21:04

Challenging Times Give a Competitive Advantage

· The hurdles you have are just things in your own mind @7:35, 8:25

· Challenging times are a good opportunity to question everything; people are open to change @14:05, 14:33, 18:19, 22:04, 23:00

· Identifying innovative solutions to enable the company to survive during the pandemic @15:23

· Give people the opportunity to try out different roles, think differently about promotion @23:25, 25:40

· Get involved in every role; not to do that job but to see what's going on, to inform strategy @24:18, 25:33

Keys to Success

· The most important thing a leader should be doing is thinking, not running around doing stuff, do the most important thing, get good at ignoring stuff @32:28

· To be successful: don't give up, have high endurance for pain, keep on fighting, be quick at making decisions with limited information, be fearless, take risks, be aware of weaknesses @28:09

· Meditation is like brushing your teeth for your mind: it makes you three times more productive, helps you maintain balance, it reduces poor responses @29:22

· Your most valuable asset is your attention; we're losing a lot of our potential wasting time on consuming stuff @31:14 

· It's not about being a person of color but do you have the support structure to take risks @34:10

To learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness check out my website, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Reach out and tell me what was helpful about today’s episode or any suggestions you have for my show.

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Episode Title: Take a Break and Reflect

For the last episode of 2020, I’d like to contemplate the value of taking a break and reflecting.

Two weeks ago I came across this quote: “Just because you take breaks doesn’t mean you’re broken.” By Curtis Tyrone Jones.

I laughed out loud – but I was already feeling a bit broken – broken because I wasn’t taking breaks. Running my own business, launching a podcast and taking care of three daughters with my amazing husband is a pretty full plate.

No matter what your situation is, I bet you need a break too. Taking time to rest and reflect enables you to be “the best person you can be” – in your work, with your family, as a friend, as a neighbor.

Let’s go back to my guests from the first four episodes who also talked about the value of taking a break and reflecting…

Elliot takes time to capture leadership practices every year… 

“I have an Evernote that I started seven years ago called leadership. And, and when something goes right, really right, or something goes really wrong, I try and think about it and say, okay, what just happened here? I have this running list of the five or 10 big things I've learned and those are the things that guide me”

Kelly took time to think about how to connect with her team during the lockdown…

“One of the big breakthrough moments for me, as I would say that the first, five to eight weeks of our national lockdown. I would spend three or four hours a week personally, thinking about what questions I was going to ask my team and how it was both a way to get better information and advice and to learn, to listen better.”

Marcel creates space for personal moments and to make sure he’s measuring the right things…

“Make sure that I can have in-between space to tackle things which are more interpersonal, Moments versus just quantified KPIs that I've got to meet. I'm always thinking I could be better at being productive but then I realized that. I'm already measuring the wrong things.”

And Mandy uses her power of introversion to create personal internal assessment tools…

“There's always some way in which you can push yourself further. Achieve more, do more, be more I think figuring out how to develop internal barometers. Yes, I did a good job. No, I didn't do a good job. yes. This situation went well. No, it didn't. those sorts of personal internal assessment tools are worth taking the time to develop.”

I love these examples of every day leaders developing different practices to take a break and reflect. And it looks different for all of us.

Taking a break allows us to think and visualize new ideas. Instead of being in transactional mode, resting reignites our ability to imagine future possibilities, of what could be – in all areas of our life.

There is lots of advice on how to recharge…exercise, read, meditate or pray, go outside, do something you enjoy, help someone, make something, or simply do nothing…

For me, I’m going on an 8-day silent retreat at a monastery in Massachusetts. I’ve never done anything like this before. I hope to find rest there. I anticipate time to reflect on many areas of my life. I look forward to letting my mind wander.

So what does taking a break and reflecting this season look like for you? What is ONE thing you could do to let your mind wander and refresh? What areas of your life could use some reflection?

While most of us are more than happy for 2020 to end, what will make 2021 better? Imagine the ways you can contribute to making 2021 a great year.

My hope is that you will carve out time – even if it’s inconvenient and challenging – to think, to rest, to just be. And to be inspired in making 2021 a great year, and a year of reflection throughout the year… 

Episode Title: Take a Break and Reflect

For the last episode of 2020, I’d like to contemplate the value of taking a break and reflecting.

Two weeks ago I came across this quote: “Just because you take breaks doesn’t mean you’re broken.” By Curtis Tyrone Jones.

I laughed out loud – but I was already feeling a bit broken – broken because I wasn’t taking breaks. Running my own business, launching a podcast and taking care of three daughters with my amazing husband is a pretty full plate.

No matter what your situation is, I bet you need a break too. Taking time to rest and reflect enables you to be “the best person you can be” – in your work, with your family, as a friend, as a neighbor.

Let’s go back to my guests from the first four episodes who also talked about the value of taking a break and reflecting…

Elliot takes time to capture leadership practices every year… 

“I have an Evernote that I started seven years ago called leadership. And, and when something goes right, really right, or something goes really wrong, I try and think about it and say, okay, what just happened here? I have this running list of the five or 10 big things I've learned and those are the things that guide me”

Kelly took time to think about how to connect with her team during the lockdown…

“One of the big breakthrough moments for me, as I would say that the first, five to eight weeks of our national lockdown. I would spend three or four hours a week personally, thinking about what questions I was going to ask my team and how it was both a way to get better information and advice and to learn, to listen better.”

Marcel creates space for personal moments and to make sure he’s measuring the right things…

“Make sure that I can have in-between space to tackle things which are more interpersonal, Moments versus just quantified KPIs that I've got to meet. I'm always thinking I could be better at being productive but then I realized that. I'm already measuring the wrong things.”

And Mandy uses her power of introversion to create personal internal assessment tools…

“There's always some way in which you can push yourself further. Achieve more, do more, be more I think figuring out how to develop internal barometers. Yes, I did a good job. No, I didn't do a good job. yes. This situation went well. No, it didn't. those sorts of personal internal assessment tools are worth taking the time to develop.”

I love these examples of every day leaders developing different practices to take a break and reflect. And it looks different for all of us.

Taking a break allows us to think and visualize new ideas. Instead of being in transactional mode, resting reignites our ability to imagine future possibilities, of what could be – in all areas of our life.

There is lots of advice on how to recharge…exercise, read, meditate or pray, go outside, do something you enjoy, help someone, make something, or simply do nothing…

For me, I’m going on an 8-day silent retreat at a monastery in Massachusetts. I’ve never done anything like this before. I hope to find rest there. I anticipate time to reflect on many areas of my life. I look forward to letting my mind wander.

So what does taking a break and reflecting this season look like for you? What is ONE thing you could do to let your mind wander and refresh? What areas of your life could use some reflection?

While most of us are more than happy for 2020 to end, what will make 2021 better? Imagine the ways you can contribute to making 2021 a great year.

My hope is that you will carve out time – even if it’s inconvenient and challenging – to think, to rest, to just be. And to be inspired in making 2021 a great year, and a year of reflection throughout the year… 

Episode 4: Only Apologize If You’ve Done Something Wrong with Samantha Pulliam

Samantha Pulliam has dedicated her entire career to woman’s health. After a 15-year career in academic medicine she is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Renovia Inc., a digital health start-up located in the Boston area. She is also a renowned doctor in the emerging field of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.

Entrepreneurial Leadership in Covid-19

o From medical doctor to Chief Medical Officer at a MedTech start-up @3:17

o Conducting clinical research with integrity while facing financial pressures during Covid @6:30, 8:51, 12:06

o Collaborating with clinicians and researchers to innovatively conduct research @13:16

Developing Personal Assessment Tools

o Develop personal internal assessment tools @20:22

o Determine what’s your contribution and what’s beyond your control @18:41

o Your ego or sense of self-worth can’t be on the line with every single interaction @27:07

o Seeing things as an experiment makes problem solving easier @26:42

o Learn to think independently while dealing with a difficult “boss” @14:47

o Being new at work and tuning into and navigating new situations @17:01

o Continuously refine your vision of what you want to do @21:04

Don’t Say I’m Sorry

o Unlearn the apology reflex – especially for women @19:02

o Only apologize if you’ve done something wrong @32:20

o If you are driven solely by an innate desire to please people you're really at risk @20:03

Leadership as an introvert, a woman and a lesbian 

o The challenges of being an introvert and pursuing a career that requires some extroversion @21:43

o Just because you don't see the glass ceiling, doesn't mean it isn’t there @23:09

o Don’t assume your own skillset and giftedness will push you through the glass ceiling @29:13

o The glass ceiling is closely tied to networking; women should focus on developing their own networks and to push each other to grow and get promoted @27:54

o If you’re the only woman in the room, focus on the opportunity to provide a different perspective @24:04

o How being a lesbian has influenced Mandy’s leadership @29:49

To learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness check out my website, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Reach out and tell me what was helpful about today’s episode or any suggestions you have for my show.

Please leave a review and tell someone else about this show. 

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I look forward to sharing another transformative conversation with you next week!

Episode 4: Only Apologize If You’ve Done Something Wrong with Samantha Pulliam

Samantha Pulliam has dedicated her entire career to woman’s health. After a 15-year career in academic medicine she is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Renovia Inc., a digital health start-up located in the Boston area. She is also a renowned doctor in the emerging field of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.

Entrepreneurial Leadership in Covid-19

o From medical doctor to Chief Medical Officer at a MedTech start-up @3:17

o Conducting clinical research with integrity while facing financial pressures during Covid @6:30, 8:51, 12:06

o Collaborating with clinicians and researchers to innovatively conduct research @13:16

Developing Personal Assessment Tools

o Develop personal internal assessment tools @20:22

o Determine what’s your contribution and what’s beyond your control @18:41

o Your ego or sense of self-worth can’t be on the line with every single interaction @27:07

o Seeing things as an experiment makes problem solving easier @26:42

o Learn to think independently while dealing with a difficult “boss” @14:47

o Being new at work and tuning into and navigating new situations @17:01

o Continuously refine your vision of what you want to do @21:04

Don’t Say I’m Sorry

o Unlearn the apology reflex – especially for women @19:02

o Only apologize if you’ve done something wrong @32:20

o If you are driven solely by an innate desire to please people you're really at risk @20:03

Leadership as an introvert, a woman and a lesbian 

o The challenges of being an introvert and pursuing a career that requires some extroversion @21:43

o Just because you don't see the glass ceiling, doesn't mean it isn’t there @23:09

o Don’t assume your own skillset and giftedness will push you through the glass ceiling @29:13

o The glass ceiling is closely tied to networking; women should focus on developing their own networks and to push each other to grow and get promoted @27:54

o If you’re the only woman in the room, focus on the opportunity to provide a different perspective @24:04

o How being a lesbian has influenced Mandy’s leadership @29:49

To learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness check out my website, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Reach out and tell me what was helpful about today’s episode or any suggestions you have for my show.

Please leave a review and tell someone else about this show. 

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I look forward to sharing another transformative conversation with you next week!

Marcel Botha is an entrepreneur, architect, and investor. He specializes in guiding product development teams from concept to viable product through experimentation with a focus on product acceleration and digital manufacturing. He has put these talents to work by starting and currently leading five different companies. 

One of which is 10XBeta, a product development and engineering firm working in electronics, medical devices and specialized robotics. As the Founder and CEO of 10XBeta, he works to build expert multidisciplinary teams to solve unique, complex problems by leveraging a global network of manufacturing partners that has developed hundreds of products over the last 12 years. 

One of these products – and companies he leads called Spiro Wave – co-created innovative low-cost emergency ventilators at breakneck speed right as Covid-19 was shutting down New York City. 

Spiro Wave Ventilator Project

o Building an emergency ventilator during the peak of Covid-19: compressing 12 to 24 months of work into 30 days @15:04

o What it took to build Spiro and how that created clarity @10:32, 17:42

o Creating a meaningful product under duress and its impact on the team @11:14, 15:04

o When working a hundred hours a week, make sure it's meaningful @9:47, 11:51

Team Wisdom

o The job of a leader is not to make people happy, it’s to offer inspiring challenges @29:36

o As a leader it’s important to keep your team focused on the North Star @15:14

o The dynamics, experience and efficacy of a team is critical @7:35

Being a Leader

o Being empathetic while making tough decisions @22:42

o The importance of one-on-one conversations to being empathetic @26:25

o Understand your risk profile and how it might impact the people around you @34:00

o How being from South Africa influenced his leadership @37:04

o Marcel’s 6-year-old daughter is worth listening to @41:17

On Being an Entrepreneur 

o Balance the euphoria of startup culture - where less than 2% of people are successful - with the discipline of building long-term valuable companies @35:08

o Receiving feedback in a meaningful way is critical to success @35:24

o Marcel’s perspective on leaders dealing with complexity @39:57

o Content and product development is a constant sequential and sometimes parallel, series of failures and experimentation @8:48

o Too much bureaucracy in decision making gets in the way of innovation @13:41

o Leave space for thinking about interpersonal moments, not just KPIs @26:52

o Project selection criteria: meaningful to the world, scalable, will have an impact @12:07

Articles

· New York Times: New York Needed Ventilators. So They Developed One in a Month.

· The New Yorker: The Engineers Taking on the Ventilator Shortage

· Fast Company: How 3 companies joined forces to build the Spiro Wave ventilator in a month

· Worth: 15 Entrepreneurs Who Have Thrived During COVID

To learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness check out my website, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Reach out and tell me what was helpful about today’s episode or any suggestions you have for my show.

Please leave a review and tell someone else about this show. 

I look forward to sharing another transformative conversation with you next week!

Marcel Botha is an entrepreneur, architect, and investor. He specializes in guiding product development teams from concept to viable product through experimentation with a focus on product acceleration and digital manufacturing. He has put these talents to work by starting and currently leading five different companies. 

One of which is 10XBeta, a product development and engineering firm working in electronics, medical devices and specialized robotics. As the Founder and CEO of 10XBeta, he works to build expert multidisciplinary teams to solve unique, complex problems by leveraging a global network of manufacturing partners that has developed hundreds of products over the last 12 years. 

One of these products – and companies he leads called Spiro Wave – co-created innovative low-cost emergency ventilators at breakneck speed right as Covid-19 was shutting down New York City. 

Spiro Wave Ventilator Project

o Building an emergency ventilator during the peak of Covid-19: compressing 12 to 24 months of work into 30 days @15:04

o What it took to build Spiro and how that created clarity @10:32, 17:42

o Creating a meaningful product under duress and its impact on the team @11:14, 15:04

o When working a hundred hours a week, make sure it's meaningful @9:47, 11:51

Team Wisdom

o The job of a leader is not to make people happy, it’s to offer inspiring challenges @29:36

o As a leader it’s important to keep your team focused on the North Star @15:14

o The dynamics, experience and efficacy of a team is critical @7:35

Being a Leader

o Being empathetic while making tough decisions @22:42

o The importance of one-on-one conversations to being empathetic @26:25

o Understand your risk profile and how it might impact the people around you @34:00

o How being from South Africa influenced his leadership @37:04

o Marcel’s 6-year-old daughter is worth listening to @41:17

On Being an Entrepreneur 

o Balance the euphoria of startup culture - where less than 2% of people are successful - with the discipline of building long-term valuable companies @35:08

o Receiving feedback in a meaningful way is critical to success @35:24

o Marcel’s perspective on leaders dealing with complexity @39:57

o Content and product development is a constant sequential and sometimes parallel, series of failures and experimentation @8:48

o Too much bureaucracy in decision making gets in the way of innovation @13:41

o Leave space for thinking about interpersonal moments, not just KPIs @26:52

o Project selection criteria: meaningful to the world, scalable, will have an impact @12:07

Articles

· New York Times: New York Needed Ventilators. So They Developed One in a Month.

· The New Yorker: The Engineers Taking on the Ventilator Shortage

· Fast Company: How 3 companies joined forces to build the Spiro Wave ventilator in a month

· Worth: 15 Entrepreneurs Who Have Thrived During COVID

To learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness check out my website, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Reach out and tell me what was helpful about today’s episode or any suggestions you have for my show.

Please leave a review and tell someone else about this show. 

I look forward to sharing another transformative conversation with you next week!

Episode 2: Never Waste a Crisis with Kelly Jankowski

Kelly Jankowski is a Managing Director at MSL, a global public relations and integrated communications firm. At MSL, she leads the national Corporate Reputation Practice working with organizations and their leaders to build reputations by helping them shape the conversations that matter to their industries and businesses. She also oversees MSL’s Crisis Response Team. Prior to her time at MSL, she held positions at Edelman and DuPont and has worked with incredible clients like PayPal, Deloitte, Regeneron, Gilead and Booking Holdings.

As a compelling storyteller with experience as a leader during times of crisis (both professionally and personally) – and guiding hundreds of her clients to do the same – along with Kelly’s thirst to absorb the world around her and the lessons they provide – you too will be drawn into Kelly’s stories and the wisdom you can find here in this transformative conversation.

o Never waste a crisis @10:14, 14:52, 15:22

o Leading in a Crisis: Lessons Learned @30:06

· Know when to make decisions with incomplete information

· Acknowledge what you know and don’t know

· Credibly make promises on things you can deliver on

· Balance communicating certainty, while acknowledging the unknowns

· Help organize information so people can make the right decisions

· Gather more information when possible

· Surround yourself with people who will ask questions

o Collaborating in Our WFH Covid-19 World @8:21

· Take time to think, to ask good questions and to listen better @11:16

· Empower people while balancing your listening and decision-making approach @12:02

· Smart people want specific goals with flexibility on how to get there @13:51

· Support the different needs people have right now @24:50

o Kelly’s Personal Insights

· Choose to be effective rather than being right @18:06, 33:02

· Don’t slip from competent and comfortable into complacency @7:52

· Leave something for a client to do, because then it will feel like it was their plan @16:50

· Accelerate your learning by absorbing other people’s stories and experiences @16:10

· When you’re open to feedback, people give you really good feedback @19:17

· Kelly’s perspective on being a woman and being a leader @27:53

· How Kelly’s experience with her fatally ill child made her more empathetic @19:53, 25:49, 27:39

To learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness check out my website, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Reach out and tell me what was helpful about today’s episode or any suggestions you have for my show.

Please leave a review and tell someone else about this show. 

I look forward to sharing another transformative conversation with you next week!