LEAD Awards 2018: Interview with Quinn Leoni, Cox Communications

A Collaborative Approach is What Helped Me as a Leader

  Category: Top Corporate Leader- Over 35
  LEAD Rank: 8
 
  Name: Quinn Leoni, Ph.D.
  Title: Director Leadership and Organization Development
  Company: Cox Communications
  Number people you lead: 13 plus 2 contractors

 
Our editorial team interviewed Quinn Leoni from Cox Communications at the LEAD2018 Awards this past February. Here are some excerpts from the exclusive interview.
 
What is your strongest characteristic that has made you a great leader?
I feel my ability to engage and align team members through a collaborative approach is something that has helped me be successful as a leader. I feel it’s important to engage my team at the beginning (of projects/interventions/initiatives) and have them contribute while helping them discover how they matter to success, both of our team and the organization. It’s tapping into their desire to contribute, to be valued and respected. I feel that everyone has valuable gifts to offer and as their leader I need to get them in a position where they can use those gifts and sometimes help them discover their gifts. We dedicate an inordinate amount of time to our jobs and when I can help them use their gifts and tap into their passion they are more personally fulfilled and engaged. My aim with a collaborative approach is that they develop ownership where it’s not the company’s plan or my plan, it’s their plan. This creates alignment around purpose while also generating buy-in, commitment and enthusiasm for delivering on those commitments and the resiliency needed when obstacles do arise, which in life, they always do. 
 

Tell us a story of something you have done as a leader that has impacted or inspired others.
It’s been showing vulnerability as a leader. I’ve done this in several ways. With my team members, I’ve been open and honest regarding my personal development needs, how I am working to address them, and errors I’ve made. I’ve apologized directly to those involved, including my team members when my errors involved them. I’ve made it a practice to ask for feedback directly from them as well. The approach I’ve found most effective is my regular 1:1 meetings which I have on a recurring basis. I’ve used this avenue to solicit feedback on how I can better support them, the team, and their goals. I’ve also made sure that I’ve closed the loop with respect to acting on the feedback I’ve received—demonstrating I’ve not just heard their feedback, I’ve acted on it. I feel that by demonstrating openness and vulnerability it creates a safe space for them to do the same. This has been a powerful practice that has inspired my team members to be vulnerable with me and each other. This has enabled more effective coaching, guidance and feedback from me while strengthening relationships across the team. 
 
What are the lessons you’ve learned this year from your leadership experiences?
As I think about this year, the lesson resonating with me is about servant leadership—the leader needs to serve the team and enable their success. The work of the team was significant this year.  We had multiple stretch goals and several projects that were entire enterprise impacting. The volume was extremely high and the pressure to deliver was reinforced as our enterprise goals were raised to the senior level for regular reporting. To deliver on our commitments, everyone needed to be engaged, work collaboratively, support each other and be innovative in approaches.   This was a great opportunity for me to develop the team and support their growth through serving them.  Serving them included listening and soliciting their ideas, providing feedback and encouragement, letting them take ownership, and showing I cared through actions. I would support them in owning the decision and back them once made, championing their ideas to others, and ensure they received the credit. Without unleashing their talent through serving and supporting them, we wouldn’t have been able to attain the results and accomplishments we did. 
 
One tip or word of wisdom you can share on what made you a great leader and can help others.
For me, it’s about how as a leader you are always leading, you are always influencing. There isn’t a time as a leader where you are not influencing and leading your team or others in the organization. Everyone is watching what you are saying/doing, what you are not saying/doing.  You may not notice, but others are always noticing you! Through your actions, you are role modeling what’s acceptable, what’s expected from them and how to do things and get things done. You need to be aware of this and conscious of the messages you are sending of what is/is not acceptable. As a leader, you are always on stage, you are always leading and influencing whether you intend to or not.  You must be intentional about the messages you are communicating and the behaviors you are role modeling. For me, this has been a critical realization aiding me in becoming a more effective leader for my direct team members and others who I interact with and those watching across the organization. 
 
In your personal view what has been your greatest leadership accomplishment?
For me, it’s those former direct reports who’ve been promoted into leadership positions across the organization and are contributing to our success day in and day out. I’ve been privileged to work with some incredibly passionate, skilled and driven individuals. I get to partner with them across functional boundaries often in my current role. It’s thrilling to see them achieving success and effectively leading their teams. Additionally, there’s nothing more humbling than having them share how I’ve impacted them, recalling specific coaching advice and support I provided and how it led them to where they are today. As they cite the examples, they share how they are applying the lessons they learned in working with me that’s helping them build their own team’s effectiveness and success. But going beyond that, as these team members are now successful leaders across our organization, as they share how I’ve impacted them personally, being a better partner, father and mother that is the most rewarding accomplishment. I take great pride in developing strong leaders, at the same time, I take even greater pride in helping them grow as a person.
 

 

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