Sara Turner:

There's a couple of big moments along this journey. And the first one is the buy in. And I think we have seen even from an organizational standpoint that those high-level leaders lead the way. Getting those high-level leaders to buy in is really key because they open the door. But we've had people who are like, "Yeah, I'll do it." And they don't buy in and they don't get to see the results. They don't get to see the change happening. And then, you have people that from the beginning are just committed.

Tim Spiker:

Sometimes, the most important thing is simply to commit. I'm your host, Tim Spiker. And this is the Be Worth* Following Podcast, a production of the PeopleForward Network. On this show, we talk with exceptional leaders, thinkers, and researchers about what actually drives effective leadership across the globe and over time. So, we just completed our three-part summer series called Who* Not What: From Research to Application, or did we actually complete it? Because today, we actually have a bonus episode that goes along with our summer series. And in this bonus episode, you're going to get to hear from Sara Turner.

Sara sits in a very unique position. She's the director of Client Support for us here at the Aperio. What that means is that she gets a backstage pass to watch individuals and organizations pursue who-based leadership development. She gets to see the struggles and the strains. She gets to hear the stories of failure and success. She gets to see progress happen in its rawest form over a long period of time.

With all of that incredible perspective, she's going to join us on the podcast to talk about what she sees as critical factors for success and failure in leadership development based on the development of who we are. So, let's get to this bonus episode of our summer series, Who* Not What: From Research to Application with Sara Turner. Let's talk about positive leaders who've made an impact for you personally.

Sara Turner:

What's really interesting this morning is I was thinking about this. Nothing really quickly came to mind and was a little bit alarmed by that. I thought, "Man, that's not great." But I think what it led me to realize is the absence of good leaders affect you. And so, I was able to pull one out and it was when I was a teacher, the middle school principal, who was my boss was just a fantastic leader. And so, I thought about what made him a great leader. And it was his care for us as his teachers and the care he had for his students. He was just a loving, warm guy.

And as a teacher on his staff, I knew that he would back me up, especially when it came to parents or issues. But he wouldn't just always let me slide. Like he would hold me accountable. And of course, the people pleaser that I am, I was always scared. We had something to talk to me about, but it was really good because that made me a better person. It made me a better teacher. But he'd be the one who would hold you if you were crying.

So, just the care that he had as a boss. And I remember when I first started working with him, I didn't know his style of communication. And so, I felt like I was always walking on eggshells and I just, at one point went to him and I said, "Can you just talk to me about your leadership style so that I can feel like I can relate to you in a very real way?" And he did that and it was really important for our relationship, that open communication.

Tim Spiker:

What did he say?

Sara Turner:

So, it really shows my lack of being secure and settled, but I said, "If I don't have feedback, I interpret that as I'm doing something wrong." And so, he was able to respond with, "I will tell you if something's going on or if there's something you need to modify or change." So, it was, I think that knowing his communication style and his being clear about that really helped me to understand his feedback.

Tim Spiker:

So, in that regard, it's really interesting because what he did in that moment is he attempted, the way I hear that story, to influence, essentially your worldview, the way you looked at things. You're saying essentially, if you don't tell me that I'm doing a good job, then I'm going to assume that I'm not doing a good job. And he said, "I promise you, I will tell you if you're not doing a good job." It's interesting because we think about leaders who care and leaders who serve. But in that moment, he didn't go along with the program that you were offering.

He didn't say, "Okay, stop by my office at 8:03 every day. And I'll tell you how great you are." And obviously, that's an exaggeration. Now, I'm guessing that... let me just go ahead and insert the name here, Steve, I'm guessing that Steve probably was complimentary of you, right?

Sara Turner:

Yes. He always gave good feedback. So, it was really my insecurity that I was fishing for. And like you said, he didn't buy into my dysfunctional program and that's what a good leader does. Right? He led me in that moment into a better way of existing in the school and a better way of being an employee. So, I was able to grow in that moment.

Tim Spiker: