“Find people you can be super vulnerable with, who will be honest; and the honesty is, ‘Yes, this is the right decision’ or “I don't agree with the decision, but you've made it and keep going.’” – Allison Gettings, CEO, Red Wing Shoe Company
In this final blog in our series of takeaways from the insight-packed “Next-Generation Leadership” seminar, we will share how top Twin Cities executives have connected with, learned from, and invested in others to become better leaders.
As a reminder, last month Pioneer hosted an event featuring a panel discussion featuring four accomplished leaders: David MacLennan (Former CEO, Cargill), Julie Maday (CEO, Independent Pet Partners), Allison Gettings (CEO, Red Wing Shoe Company), and Phil McKoy (Enterprise Lead, Optum). The discussion was moderated by PSPBJ Publisher Whitney-Lehr Koening.
Our blog series began by examining how values-based decision-making can help today’s leaders navigate turbulent times, with memorable anecdotes from the legendary Dave MacLennan. In our second blog, Julie Maday and others shared what authentic leadership looks like in today’s business culture. To wrap up this series, we will see how mentorship and personal growth has enriched the development of leaders like Allison Gettings.
Building A Support System
Allison Gettings talked about how a trusted inner circle has impacted her leadership—and why the input of this diverse “cabinet” of advisers has been meaningful. “Boy, I've leaned on my people, the people that I love and trust, to build me back up again.”
When facing especially hard decisions, Gettings relies on these voices for their unfiltered feedback. “Find people you can be super vulnerable with, who will be honest; and the honesty is, ‘Yes, this is the right decision’ or “I don't agree with the decision, but you've made it, and keep going.’”
Dave MacLennan stressed the importance of relational support systems for leaders. “Having friends, having people that will hold a mirror up to you—is really important in big jobs,” he said.
Intentional Career Development
There are many career development paths available to emerging leaders; some are more formal than others. Allison Gettings described one of the leadership development programs that she has implemented at Red Wing Shoe Company. Every summer, she and her organizational leaders take time to learn more about each area of the company to discover who is doing really well, and why. These insights often lead to leadership development opportunities for high-potential employees, starting with a 30-minute meeting where Gettings engages them in a one-on-one, free-flowing conversation about their hopes, aspirations, what they like about working at the company, and more.
“A lot of movement has come from that, a lot of rotational assignments.” Gettings added, “I think that's part of the job as a leader…How do I manage talent development? How do I manage my talent pipeline?”
Having a strong sense of curiosity can help leaders support the career development of those who report to them—especially in formal coaching settings or professional development programs. For example, learning to ask the right questions to coach employees through their moments of conflict or frustration—and help them build their own solutions—is more effective than trying to solve the problem for them.
One tactic that rising leaders can do to accelerate their own professional development is to gain exposure to more functional areas in their organization, in order to build a wider base of skills and experiences. Some companies are more intentional than others when it comes to moving leaders around to gain these competencies—but even if that isn’t happening formally, individuals can choose to broaden their career path to prepare themselves for the leadership roles they want in the future.
Phil McKoy believes a mindset that embraces curiosity and continuous learning is one thing that separates thriving leaders from those who struggle. “As a leader, you're going to show up and tomorrow you may be asked to do a fundamentally different role than what you did yesterday,” Phil McKoy said. “So I think the more we try and make our leaders do multifaceted, multi-capability jobs, that essence of learning becomes that much more important.”
Julie Maday agreed, and she had the following advice for those who want to expand their leadership or influence: “Look for cross-functional projects. Look to find ways to separate yourself as a leader.” Maday added, “Absolutely say yes when you are asked to try something that scares you, especially if it scares you.”
For those who aspire to top leadership positions, such as C-Suite roles, Maday offered additional guidance: “Make sure you're ready for the job that you so desperately want… you should be studying it like crazy.” As part of this preparation, she recommends learning as much as possible about the big picture, and particularly the financials. “You’ve got to understand the basics of the business… to be ready for it when it comes to you.”
Self-Care and Personal Growth
Prioritizing self-care and personal growth can help offset the immense pressure that comes with the territory in executive roles. Each of the leaders on this panel have various ways of recharging—from getting a massage to putting boundaries in place to protect family time.
For example, during her long commutes to work, Allison Gettings often listens to music, audio books, or podcasts that uplift her spirit or pique her interest. Recent favorites have included Simon Sinek’s The Infinite Game, David Epstein’s Range, or current affairs podcasts like The Globalist. Although she does have routines to help her stay healthy and focused, Gettings knows that flexibility is necessary when trying to check off all the self-care boxes on her list during an especially busy season at work. She admitted, “Sometimes, [I know] I'm going to have peak stress this week… so I'm going to do things for myself next week.”
For Phil McKoy, escaping into the wild is one of his favorite ways to reset. For example, on election day this past November, he headed up to the Brule River in northern Minnesota to fish for Steelhead. “It seemed like a good day to be in the middle of the woods,” he quipped. At this point in his life, McKoy realizes the value of taking time for self-care, much more than did in his earlier career. “The reality is, it'll all be there when you get back… so that's what I do, I fish.” He added that listening to easygoing yet interesting podcasts, such as This American Life, also helps him unplug.
Dave MacLennan enjoys a good podcast in his downtime as well. “I really like Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell… it feels like I'm exercising my brain.” His personal and leadership development has also been influenced by bestsellers such as Stephen M. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as well as one written by his son, Stephen F. Covey, called The Speed of Trust. MacLennan was especially impacted by the latter book’s message about the power of creating trusting relationships with customers, team members, friends, and more.
Julie Maday pursues balance by getting enough sleep, exercising, spending time with her husband, or enjoying the outdoors—but she has found that boundaries and time management are the keys to making those things happen. “Time is my most precious asset,” she stated, “and I treat it that way.” Maday said she is intentional about how she uses open windows in her schedule, even if she opts to use them to do nothing or listen to a murder podcast. “I think about my time very carefully, and I protect it, especially my free time.”
Mentoring and Goal Setting
Leaders are not developed in a vacuum—they are defined by their unique experiences, backgrounds, strengths, relationships, motivations, values, and more.
Julie Maday told the audience that she would be “half the person” she is today without her mentors, her sponsors, and her coach. “I would strongly encourage all of you to consider a coach, which is actually very distinct and different from mentorship,” she said. “I refer to it as my personal board of directors.” Maday Know who the people who are in your life that are going to help you make tough decisions and are going to shape and refine you.”
Dave MacLennan said, “I don't think there's anybody who was successful that didn't have a mentor or a coach or both.” He revealed this is one reason he was drawn to his current role as a leadership coach for individuals and executives.
One of his biggest pieces of advice for new leaders? “Never stop learning, feeding yourself and feeding your skills.” As an example, MacLennan described a defining moment at the beginning of his 10-year tenure as CEO of Cargill, when he took a course for new CEOs at Harvard Business School. One of the assignments was to write and deliver a retirement speech—an exercise that forced him to articulate a vision for his future accomplishments. Over the next decade, MacLennan referred back to this speech many times and it helped him stay focused. “The things I wanted to do, or that person I wanted to be, kind of came true,” he reflected.
Ultimately, in addition to having good mentors and r support systems, MacLennan believes leaders can stay on the right path by keeping their goals and values front and center, motivating them along the way.
In summary, emerging leaders can be more effective by establishing support systems, balancing self-care and professional development, and prioritizing mentorship and goal setting.