Inside The Edge
About
The Executive Chair
The one question you always want to ask a successful person in a senior leadership role is “How did you get there?” In developing your own career, you learn more from hearing what worked – and didn’t work – from senior leaders and hearing their wisdom than from any other source.
We are embarking on a series of interviews with leaders who exemplify success for us. In their words are insights that can give you direction for moving your own career forward.
To read a summary, written by Michael DeVenney, of the past 12 interviews this year - click here.
| Tim Crooks - The Art of Focused Collaboration |
Insights from Tim … Michael (MD): What did you do to move to a leadership role? Tim (TC): I went to great lengths to understand all aspects of the operation at Phoenix. I needed to understand thecontext of business and work. Even when I was in a narrow functional role, I was always asking questions aboutother areas – wanting to know the details and how to influence what was happening in those areas.
MD: What is one thing that developing professionals need to do more of? TC: They need to focus on the relationships in their work, to build and improve those relationships.Relationships are everything to us at Phoenix, both in good times and bad. There is too much emphasis ontechnology and focus on what’s new and breaking. There is a time and place for that but the foundation ofbecoming a leader is to make sure that relevant relationships are rock solid and that is done in person.
MD: What about doing less of? TC: There needs to be less “heads down” and more “heads up”. They need to be less focused on what is on theirdesk and more focused on the broad context in order to understand how they can interact and influence – movefrom a small circle to a broad circle.
MD: What experience helped you the most in your career and why? TC: I have done my best to always push the agency to move forward and have a lasting impact. I don't just pushmyself, but also the team and the Board. Sometimes, though, I need to have quiet time, take the feedback andlisten to other people. I remember my boss (at the time) and I had a difference of opinion on direction and Iwent after her daily to promote my perspective. One day she said firmly and quietly, “Sit there! You need totake some direction from me. I hear you. I just disagree, I am the Executive Director, and you need to take mydirection.” I learned that sometimes I need to talk less and listen more.
MD: What was the greatest challenge moving your career forward? TC: I work very hard to always be prepared and to invest the time to fully understand the lay of the land. Ibecame Executive Director at 30 years of age and it took a lot of hours and it was hard to have balance in therest of my life at the same time. You have to move your career forward in a way that is sustainable and doesn’tcompress your outside life.
MD: What is the greatest strength of your approach to leadership? TC: On a daily basis, I try to clear the clutter from other people’s work. There are tendencies for managers toinvolve themselves too much in other people’s work, and it ends up making work more complicated - not less. Ihelp my managers focus on “mission critical” work.MD: What has been the biggest surprise you have had since attaining a senior leadership role?TC: You can never, for any length of time, leave anything unattended. You need to circle back to make surethings are on the right track – it is easier for things to come apart rather than it is for them to stay together.
MD: What is the greatest benefit to you in attaining a senior leadership role? TC: It is the ability to influence things and have a vision, a passion for something, and to be in the position tomake it happen. You can get there with drive and at the same time be consultative and collaborative, ensuringeveryone can contribute to the process. These are not mutually exclusive approaches, to have a driving visionand include others in it. It helps to have people challenge you and help you grow.
MD: What is the next achievement you want in your leadership career? TC: I have a simple hope – I have a phenomenal and diverse management team right now who are thoughtfuland supportive and I trust completely – I just want to enjoy more time to work with them. I want to stay withthis (team) configuration as we can do so much together.
MD: What is your greatest learning as a leader? TC: You need to move from the comfort of absolute truths, where everything is cut and dried – to understandingthe value of nuances. True leadership is based on working with and through the nuances. |
