Earlier this month I had the chance to host my own podcast entitled Learning from Leaders as part of the Enrollify Network.
The five-part podcast series was designed to help prepare the next generation of marketing leaders, but I think I learned as much about marketing and leadership as the listeners.
In reflecting back on the experience- here are the takeaways that will help me in being a better marketing leader.
Episode Takeaways
Episode One – Navigating Leadership and Management
Jenny Petty joined me for a conversation, and one of the topics she discussed was making the most of staff meetings. She noted that over time, teams grow and mature, which makes it important to reevaluate the staff meeting cadence and what that looks like.
Those are growing pains that as leaders we don’t always think about because we’re so focused on more external challenges. Jenny challenged listeners to think of those standard processes and be willing to revisit those each year to see if they still make sense given the team, their needs and their development.
Episode Two – Crafting Culture: Strategies for Emerging Leaders
Matthew Gann was the featured guest of this episode. We chatted about systems theory and several topics related to setting culture and vision. One of the key lessons Matthew shared was the idea of guided autonomy. Let that sink in for just a moment.
This is the idea that teams can innovate and have flexibility with a specific set of parameters. He noted this helped to ensure that teams didn’t go too far in an idea or brainstorm but still felt like they had the authority to brainstorm and innovate creative solutions. This was something I’ll certainly be borrowing.
Episode Three – Tackling Tough Conversations
Rebekah Tilley joined me for this episode, and she talked about some of the strategies she used to help navigate tough conversations. One of the biggest things I learned from Rebekah is having a script to make the best of these conversations.
However, even better is Rebekah offered some of her own scripts to listeners. She shared the importance of tying tough conversations into key university objectives and approaching them in away that helped support the employee, while still articulating the things that needed to be addressed.
Episode Four – Budgeting Basics: Leading Through Budgeting
Kate Ledger shared multiple budgeting tips in this episode, which focused on the importance of budget as a strategic tool for marketing leaders. Out of all the things that she shared, the notion of being curious in budgeting was the one that stood out the most.
Her idea to be curious about the processes, what’s been done in the past, and how the things can be better is something that I found incredibly smart. Sometimes we want to jump in and try to solve problems without taking the time to be curious and understand. Additionally, she wisely noted that curiosity diffuses tension, so it should not be underestimated as a budgeting tactic.
Episode Five – Building Bridges: How Campus Collaboration Spurs Success
Elias Martines was the final guest on the show, and we talked about the value of campus collaboration. He referred to working on a college campus as brand work in hard mode because of the numerous people engaged in the process.
Because of that, we also talked that conflict is unavoidable. However, he shared that conflict is the sign of a healthy team because it means the team trusts one another, is comfortable to share their thoughts, and everyone believes in the work. He suggested that new leaders should focus on ensuring the conflict remains healthy but give the team the space to disagree and push one another.
Closing Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to host the series and know these takeaways will help me continue enhancing my leadership skills. I’m curious after listening to the episodes, which was your favorite?
If you haven’t had a chance, be sure to check out the content on the Enrollify Network because there are so many great podcasts about our work.
And Carrie On 