Unlocking Leadership Potential with Compassion and Confidence (Laurie Riker)

Full transcript

Welcome back to the podcast, guys. Today we are joined by Lori Riker, a global HR leader, coach, and also a keynote speaker, and an international best-selling author behind What's Next. Lori, welcome to the podcast. >> You stole my thunder. Thank you for having me and it's really a pleasure to be here with you. >> To start, could you share a bit more about your background and what you spend most of your time? >> Yes. So thank you. Um yes, so I am an keynote speaker. I actually did a keynote in Paris last year on International Women's Day primarily about compassionate leadership. So that's one of my superpowers is really providing kind of the cornerstones of leadership through compassionate leadership and what those are. I help organizations navigate through change uh using clarity and confidence and primarily moving towards the statement or the question about what's next.

So a lot of leaders you know are in either transition you know either personally or whatever and so um we eventually get to the question what's next and then my experience or expertise intersects with culture leadership and also I would say human behavior and I help organizations transform from inside out and we all have that monkey bra going on so I help them quieten their noise and get to their own intuition their own voice so they can lead with clarity and purpose. And then the cornerstone or the pillars as I said earlier of my work are really compassion, confidence and clarity. And that's what I lead with. That's what my coaching does and also my p my other podcast and speaking engagements. >> And when you look back, what were the big chapters of your career that shaped how you lead people today? >> And what did you learn the hard way? always lessons learned and I wouldn't say last, you know, lessons learned are the hardest lessons, but I think really leading through change and staying centered in who you are is probably been my biggest learning. I think leading through change instead of moving towards fear or moving from fear, leading from that confidence and leading with that intuitive voice, that inner voice really transform not only yourself but culture and people notice, people stand up when you're standing within that clarity or in that silent voice that you have, that powerful voice that you have.

You mentioned that you built what's next and what does what's next mean to you especially for the leaders who feel stuck or overwhelmed. So I think all of us get to that point one stage or another. Honestly, I think I've been there three times. But when I've answered that question, believe it or not, things happen, things come. Like for instance, writing that international best-selling book, Women Who Influence. That was a what's next for me moment. And one of my kind of things that I think about in my head is I don't want to sit in a rocking chair when I'm, you know, 80 or so and and wish I would have. Um, being able to be a best-selling author internationally was absolutely one of my what's next. Also, being a keynote speaker in Paris, I have to tell you, being on stage and looking at all of the powerful women, the beautiful women out there, it was 300 plus. Talk about what's next. That was definitely a what's next and the goal come true. So I also believe that if you envision it, it can happen.

You can make it happen. And so that's kind of where I start too is what's next and then envision what I want. What will bring me joy and how can I impact other because that's really important to me as well. And so the book is one, the keynote speaker in Paris is another. And being a coach, I mean being a coach, I don't know if you know, but we're actually mirrors for people. We show you who you really are. It's partly intuition, but the power that you can start seeing who you really are really helps you be even more powerful in the world and create your own what's next. >> What problem it solves when someone picks up your book or maybe joins your work? What do you want them to make in how they think or act as a leader? >> So, I think what I want people to think about is leading from compassion. I think is really important because that transforms culture that transforms yourself and that transform the world really. So leading from compassion for yourself and for others.

It's really sitting in someone else's shoes and being able to walk in their shoes. And if you can embibe that characteristic, that quality of a human, it really does transform others, yourself, and anybody around you. Does that make sense? >> Yes. You've written about the difference between pressure and clarity and how people don't follow a title, they follow trust. In your experience, what does real influence look like in a normal work week? >> Yeah, it's a great question. Appreciate you asking that. What does stress really look like in a typical work week? It really means to me building that consistency of what you say you're going to do, you do. So that consistency I think people follow and they grow through compassion. So and I think people start trusting that consistency and without consistency um you know I don't think people will follow andor trust for that matter. So really saying and doing what you set to do. >> Certainly that and standing in your own values too and talking the talk so to speak. I know that's so overrated but it really isn't.

It's really really walking the talk and talking the talk and living those values of compassion and that consistency I found is really really important because if you know if you're compassionate one day and not the next you know that really throws people off. So I think it's really important for that consistency as well. >> When you are trying to build a engaged high performing team are there any things that you are looking into? >> Yeah, a lot of things. First thing is really to evaluate see where people are on kind of their assessment scale of high performing team and there's a lot of pillars within that and a lot of different offers but I think it's really important to understand where you are first and then as a team figure out where you want to go and then make sure that you enlist everybody in the process to get where you want to go. Um, if you're not listing people, team members, and the process of how to get there, where do you want to go, you're going to lose people um, along the way.

Figure out where do you want to go and how do you want to get there as a team is really important. >> You recently posted about how alignment changes everything. How collaboration and energy and even happiness at work. If there is a team that feels behind, what's the first conversation you have to get alignment back? >> That can happen at a lot of ways, right? I mean, it can happen through mergers. It can happen through new leaders coming in. There's all kinds of ways that that can happen. But I think the first thing to do is when people start getting out of line is again kind of sitting down together and really what's happening. Let's let's figure out what's going on. Let's have a conversation. And that transparency from me as a leader is really important. And not to say, "Hey, Mickey, you're not doing what you need to be doing, but what's going on? What's happening here?" And leading again through that compassion. I'm going to say that over and over and over again, but I think it's important. >> So compassion. >> Yeah. What's going on?

What's happening? Where's the breakdowns? Really trying to understand, put yourself in their shoes. Realignment can happen in a second. You know how many leaders don't have those conversations? It's just amazing to me to really be able to sit down, acknowledge what's going on, be transparent as a leader. I see this. How can we fix it, and let's do it together. Does that make sense? >> Yeah. I read somewhere that most people are one hard conversation away from changing their life. And it really can be the truth. >> It is the truth, Nikki. It is the truth. And I think having a leader that really believes in you, again, I I shared with you earlier that we're mirrors as coaches, but I think we're mirrors as leaders, too. Gosh, Mickey, I know you can do this. I know you can. I've seen it. And those words go such a long way with people that I work with. You know, I know you can do this. I know you can.

And they start, wow, I think I can. Are there any simple signals or something that you spot to ensure that problems don't go along the way? Maybe in the team setting. >> Yeah, I think there are clues and as leaders you can sense morale dipping. I think that's one clue. And also disengagement and maybe not just disengagement from maybe I'll get my work done and maybe that goes along with morale. disengagement as far as the activities and whatever other work things they have to do starts falling off. In addition, absences from work. I start noticing people calling off more medical emergencies or so those are some signals. Did I answer your question correctly? >> Yes. Great. What do you love the most about your job? >> Seeing people shine, seeing people start believing in themselves. The best part of my job is working with people and being able to again share that mirror, let them see that mirror, giving them opportunities to shine and certainly let them know how much they're cared about.

I think those are the wonderful things about my job. >> Looking ahead, maybe in the next 12 months, is there anything that you are currently building around what's next? >> Yeah, thank you for that. So, I'm actually working on doing more podcasts, believe it or not, and uh doing more uh leadership interactive type workshops, really using compassion as the core thread throughout and helping people really raise their EQ level to really understand when they're off of their EQ and and what their challenges may be, but really help leaders grow um to be the best leaders they can be and to make a difference in the world, making an impact in the And I think if we all leaned from obviously compassion and wanting to make a difference in the world, don't you think this would be an even better place? >> I always like to ask my guests on the podcast if they have any piece of advice >> or message that they would like to share. >> Yeah. So, thanks for asking that.

I think we all hit moments in life where the ground shifting and we're not really sure what's next or even what's behind us sometimes. Right. But I think to become the better versions of ourselves or the best versions of ourselves or if we had that magic wand to create that best versions of oursel. I think trust in the shift because I think that's our signal to tell us it's time to do something different. It's time to be step in that higher version or the better version or the next version of ourselves. We all have different versions. And then honor your intuition. It's there. We all have it, you know, and it's not certainly gender specific. That's for sure. And then I think the other thing so important is really lead with compassion within your internal life, your external life. I think that's really where you discover what's next by that learning and seeing the impact you could have while leading with compassion.

Lori, if there are any people that are listening who want to follow your work or just connect, where should they go? >> They can certainly go to my web page, but um they can also go to lari elreker nowgmail.com. That's another and I have a couple other emails, but those are the easiest and quickest way to get to me. >> Great. I will add your LinkedIn so people can check you out. >> What a pleasure. Thank you so much for inviting me. I really enjoy the time with you. What a great host you are and hopefully we can connect again soon. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you guys for watching and we will see you in the next one. Bye.