Building up trust, communication and transparency are all keys to being a good leader, explains Kimberley Rohr, our Leadership Award winner for 2019.
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina USA Rohr is Senior Director Accounting, Reporting and Shared Services. She started at Electrolux in 2002 and leads a team of 80+ in total. Here she shares some of her top leadership tips.
You’ve remarked that it’s the team nominating you that makes receiving the award so much more meaningful. How do you go the extra mile to develop your team?
I want to get to know my team members so I consider it a privilege to get to know them and learn what motivates each person. I do this through monthly 1:1 meetings where we discuss business topics and their personal growth and development. This is intended to round out the communication forum we have within the larger team setting. Then as a group we discuss the direction of the company and our goals. Most people (including myself) will go above and beyond for people we truly know and want to help succeed.
What makes a great leader in your view?
Here are my three tips:
- Know when to stand in front of the team to clear the path for them, protect them, or even take responsibility for their mistakes.
- Know when to stand beside the team and work in the trenches with them when overcoming obstacles or challenges.
- Know when to stand behind and support the team so they are seen and celebrated for their successes.
Secret sauce to leadership: Be who you are. Don’t try to be someone else. Develop your own style and take a minute to have some fun and laugh. It’s okay to be a professional with humor.
Next challenge to face: Finding a goal that could possibly top winning the Electrolux Leadership Award! We should always strive to see improvement year over year, so what tops this??
Favorite challenge faced: Motivating and challenging reserved Finance teams to come out of their shells and have some “noisy” fun.
Your motto: A leader is only as good as their team.
