Komal (Kay) Billand

The first "well-intentioned behavior” on this list was one that stood out to me as an excellent starting point for a discussion. In constantly seeking agreement, many leaders may unknowingly limit their own leadership. Agreement feels nice, and it can certainly be helpful when everyone is on the same page. However, there is a distinction to be made between equal and unilateral communication, and equal and unilateral agreement. The former is an essential aspect of good leadership, whereas the latter is nearly impossible to achieve and in many cases a waste of time that could be better spent on individual cases or concerns. #Leadership #LeadershipStrategy #OrganizationalCulture

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We read a lot about providing support and care for the well-being of those laid off during a challenging time of transition. It is important and critical to helping people bounce back and refocus on how to move forward. (Believe me, I get this feeling) This article talks about the survivors. About the concept of “stability management” vs change management to foster a productive work environment amidst constant change, especially after re-orgs and layoffs. Often times those that have managed to keep their job are struggling with the changes (lost co-workers, new bosses, a feeling like you are starting over.) There is a feeling of uncertainty (will I be next?) that takes up space in ones mind and dilutes our ability to be our best. I have coached many people through change (both the laid off and those who remain). I have felt the fears and experienced layoffs, personally. I like this idea of stability management. What are your thoughts?

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Agreed. Transformational leadership needs to be learned and applied in order for transformation to happen. Simple, but very much beyond what is typically done.

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So true… keep asking the big questions.

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An extremely important element of leadership is to ensure your people and teams think and act in the right direction; one that fosters innovation and bias to action instead of complacency and maintaining the status quo. Have you ever had a conversation about how to tackle a challenge and some folks in the group are mainly listing out all the reasons why the challenge is hard or impossible to solve? The conversation ends with a failure to take action because it was mostly focused on impossibilities. Folks are more likely to remember and dwell on negative past experiences than positive achievements. This can lead to a suppression of innovative brainstorming and ideas when talking through a problem to solve. If you notice that this kind of "no, because" attitude is trending in any of your people or on a team, I recommend conducting exercises with the affected folks in attempt to re-orient their thinking and attitude. This is especially important if the affected individuals are leaders or otherwise considered to be influential within the group or team. I like to use role-playing activities and an adaptation of the 5-whys root cause analysis activity to challenge the attitude and develop an understanding of why it exists and whether it's possible to turn it around. How do you ensure your organizations are thinking and operating in the right direction?

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Employers would benefit more from investing in their leadership teams to ensure they know how to provide effective feedback and set realistic goals. Not only would that create better leaders but also benefit those who might be otherwise be put on a PIP.

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The Top 5 Books that have helped me to navigate corporate culture as a woman of color 📚 1. The Memo by Minda Harts - It’s raw, relatable and honest. I reference this book time and time again and have purchased for many of my friends. 2. Lead from the Outside by Stacey Abrams - My love for this book and Stacey have nothing to do with politics and everything to do with her perseverance and leadership. 3. It’s About Damn Time by Arlan Hamilton - Arlan spoke to my soul with this one. Her drive, determination, and grit are unmatched. 4. Brands and Bullshit by Bernhard Schroeder - Earlier in my career I was told “you are just not strategic enough” and this book taught me a thing or 2 about thinking strategically. 5. Broke Millennial by Erin Lowry - What are we doing all of this for if we don’t focus in on getting our finances in check? #bookrecs

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I'm starting my Monday off invigorated after a few days with our extended leadership team in Nashville. My big takeaways: The power of connections - I used to think that networking was this complicated, monolithic thing. Really, it's just getting to know people as people. As one of the new folks, building those in person connections is so powerful. The power of clear, crisp goals - Josh Weis, our CEO did a great job levelsetting us in the morning on day one. We don't have 500 goals for 2024, we don't have vague statements as our goals. We came away with 3 directives, all of which are clear, measurable, and, while attainable, aren't status quo. Play to win, not "not to lose." *************************************************************************** Hi, I’m Jennifer. I’m passionate about building amazing teams, enabling high growth startups, and delivering a customer experience so intentional and world-class that it becomes a differentiator for our customers. Follow me for all things CX. #leadership #cxstrategy #customersuccess #customerexperience #customercentricity #leadership #management #growth

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Let’s talk about Misogyny in the workplace.  I have a supervisor that is a dynamic leader, that knows how to engage people to get the most from them and is one of the most competent people I know. She also happens to be a woman. I have seen her disrespected and ignored quite a bit by men who are clearly inferior to her in knowledge and position. This is not what I want to talk about today. I would like to talk about me. A couple of months ago now, I was given a task to do by her with someone else I work with. She gave me detailed instructions on what she wanted done. When we got to that task, we discovered that it would cause issues to do it exactly the way that was requested, so we did the task another way. 1. We did not consult her. 2. We did not take to account any reasons she might have had to do things the way she asked. 3. We did not even think to include her on any decisions we made proceeding forward.  Her reaction to this was one that was angry, hurt, and honest. All I would have had to do was briefly talk to her about the situation and we could have made a plan together. The work might have even been done the exact same way. The issue is that both myself, and my coworker told ourselves that we knew the right way of doing things and we ignored her. This is 100% a case of bias, and it was not somebody else to point the finger at, it was on me. It does not even matter what my intent was, it is the results that mattered. I firmly believe that we live in a society that is highly sexist and misogynistic. If I believe that, and also believe that it is everyone else's fault that this is the case, I do nothing but fool myself. The leader I follow pointed this out to me, and I'm glad. I would much rather be called out on my biases than continue to act on them.

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If you're a leader, here are 12 common mistakes to avoid. Your employees will thank you! #Leadership #CommonMistakes #LeadershipTips

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The power of storytelling in leadership and in business is undeniable, but where do leaders and organizations fall short? 📚 In today's article, I'm summarizing six storytelling missteps I see time and time again that cause leaders to miss the mark with their teams and companies to miss the mark with their customers. What would you add to the list? 🎯 Or, conversely, what storytelling skills help you achieve the best success? Weigh in below! ⬇ https://lnkd.in/ez3gJbUi #theskillofstorytelling #theartofstorytelling #storytellinginbusiness #connection #influence #emotionalintelligence #leadership #fieldservice #futureoffieldservice

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Real leaders are focused on two things when introducing change into an organization: 1. Making the right decisions for the organization 2. Ensuring everyone feels minimum stress and maximum confidence during and after the process. #transparency #leadership #changemanagement https://lnkd.in/eyF_yaPh

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100% agree this is a real problem today. Nothing beats a real phone call with a customer. I’ve talked about this with our customer facing teams many times. Even when you don’t have an answer, a call to say I hear you, and I’m on it, is the most satisfying for a customer. Rule of thumb should be the phone call comes first and end email is used as follow up to that call.

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Believe you can, and you're halfway there. I remember the inspiring Winning by Design workshop hosted by Kristi Faltorusso and Julie Persofsky three years ago. Women in CS shared their struggles and strategies to shatter stereotypes. Kristi’s bold move? Stepping down to an IC role to advance in customer success but never being afraid to voice her ambitions. ————————— So have we advanced women in leadership three years later? 🧐 Two insightful reports just dropped earlier this month: 1. The Definitive State of Women in Revenue Report | 6th Edition 2. Balancing The Boardroom: Insights into Women in Today's Workplace by Kickstand and Wednesday Women 🔑 Here are 5 key insights: 1️⃣ Highlight Female Speakers: 82% of women prefer events with female representation. 2️⃣ Support Flexible Work: 98% of women value work/life balance. 3️⃣ Mentorship Programs: 89% of CEOs credit mentorship for avoiding costly mistakes. 4️⃣ Transparent Pay: 60% of women say equal pay practices promote equality. 5️⃣ Inclusive Networking: Safe environments increase female participation. —————— I truly believe in creating a safe space, offering mentorship and encouraging more conversations in women's leadership. ✨What do you think is the first step in breaking down barriers? 🔨 #womenempowerment #leadership

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Today's podcast is about delegation. 1. Say "I would like your help with something" rather than "I need your help with something." When you say "need", it puts pressure on them to say yes. 2. Say why you chose them. 3. Tell them what the task is without the details. When you explain the details, they may approach it defensively, thinking of all the reasons to say no. 4. Ask if there is anything that they need from you. Though this Manager Tools has some good tips, I also feel like the speaker is too harsh. He is task focused rather than motivation focused. Hoping it'll get better but I think this is just who he is. https://lnkd.in/eRwnVSRz

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Yesterday I chatted with CSM extraordinaire, Alison (must be a name thing). I asked how summer was going. She said, laughing, her son wrote his first letter of the year to Santa this week. 💡 This kid is BRILLIANT. And he definitely has a future in CX. He's not waiting for the end of the year...he's building a relationship, one he can nurture. He's ensuring Santa knows his name when it's time to make that list and check it twice. If you're only reaching out to customers when it's time for renewal, you're doing it wrong. Yes, they may still need your product or service, but you haven't built a relationship that keeps you top of mind. What value beyond the product/service did you offer throughout the year? How did you make them feel SEEN? At best, you'll get pushed down the priority list for procurement. At worst? You may get put on the "vendor review list," known in other circles as the naughty list, and possibly not make the cut. Why? Because Santa sees you, and so do your customers. #peoplebeforeprofessionals #customermarketing #customeradvocacy #customerexperience #santaknowsbest #relationships 

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The value of authentic culture - To create stronger alignment, company leaders need to take a thorough look at the organization’s culture and make sure it meshes with goals related to business performance and talent recruitment. That starts with leaders having a clear understanding of the strategic choices open to the company and being deliberate about what their business is and is not. #corporateculture #leadership #peoplefirst #strategy https://lnkd.in/d8ye4eqa

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Hmmm…Paul Flowers, I don’t have a clue how we became LinkedIn friends, but here we are; a student learning and studying the teacher’s lesson. I’m open to learning from anyone regardless of age, but golly, there is something about an ounce of wisdom that just hits differently. I love following people just like my mom…alive and living, not thinking twice about age. Maybe that’s how Paul and became fast friends. You nailed it Paul!!! The younger mindset marketing to the older mindset, especially in #independentliving and #assistedliving #seniorliving is a bit of a mismatch!

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