HOW TO BE AN AUTHENTIC LEADER���

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

As Chief Marketing Officer of Global Consumer Bank at Citi, Leslie relies on her leadership skills every day

to help her teams perform at their best. In her 25 years in the financial services industry, she has benefited from the experience of many great leaders, whom she strives to emulate in her

day-to-day work and home life.

MEET LESLIE GILLIN!

Leslie answered questions about leadership from members of

Connect: Professional Women’s Network. Here’s some of her

most popular advice.

How do you energize employees and inspire them to perform at their very best? There is nothing more inspiring than having a leader "walk the walk." That means 1) meet with your teams; listen and ask questions about their work and their point of view, 2) communicate on the objectives often, 3) roll up your sleeves and be seen as a part of the team, not the leader in the ivory tower, 4) celebrate team and individual success often, and 5) have fun and keep a sense of humor.

What’s the best piece of leadership advice you’ve ever received? To check in with myself every six months to make sure I have my work/life balance under control and that I love what I’m doing. Your priorities (family, community, career) will not always be equal throughout your life, and what motivates you (recognition, money, achievement) won’t hold the same weight either. Checking in with yourself helps you shift accordingly.

Being a leader requires giving direction and delegating. How can I do this without coming across as bossy? The group needs to feel like you are part of the team and not above it. If you achieve this dynamic, delegating work will feel like a natural interaction between your roles, not like you’re imposing on them. Be an authentic and relatable boss with a clear vision, and ensure that all understand the important role they play in the team.  

How can leaders rally their teams after delivering unpopular news (anything from lost business to layoffs)? 1) Be visible. The worst thing you can do is hide. Get out there and connect even more than you do on a regular basis—and not always in a formal setting. Walk the floor. 2) Address questions head on. 3) Reinforce the team's mission and goals, and clarify expectations 4) Lastly, find time to team build—not as a one-off but as an ongoing practice. A cohesive team can get through tougher times much better than one that doesn’t have that base trust.

As a leader, it can be tempting to micromanage teams. What’s your best advice for how to avoid this? Start MACRO-managing. Know that your team will only get stronger by owning their work—and sometimes learning from their mistakes—while you set out the vision for the bigger picture. Take a look at your schedule for the week—that is a great way to determine if you are too "in the weeds" or focused on the bigger strategy.

Do you have any tips to help young leaders avoid burnout and cynicism? It helps to remember a few things: 1) "This too shall pass.” 2) Try to be a positive spirit within the workforce environment. Own your attitude and the impact it has on others. 3) Check in with yourself every six months to ensure you are where you want to be (see slide #5), and 4) Remember that you own your career, so if you stay burned out and cynical, it is no one's fault but your own.

What strategies do you use to keep open communication with your teams? Be authentic and genuine about wanting to hear from the team—and respond when you do hear from them, with a phone call if possible, but an email at minimum. Also, put strong communications routines in place that people can count on (Town Halls, results memos, touch-base calls) and reinforce to the team that your direct reports are also there to ensure strong communication.

What advice would you give to people who lead virtual teams, where time-zone differences can be 5 to 12 hours? There is definitely more administrative rigor that needs to go into setting established, time-zone friendly routines, but it’s worth it to ensure you don't go weeks without verbal contact. Daily email works, but it can never replace healthy dialogue—hence the need for meeting routines. Have a bi-annual (or quarterly if budget allows) face-to-face working session hosted by a different market each time.

I’m a seasoned professional who just joined a start-up. Any advice for making sure I’m an integral member of the team? Make sure you establish strong communications with your manager and strive to have a clear sense of his or her expectations. Also, make yourself valuable by delivering not just on the "what" but also on the "how.” The most invaluable employees are the ones who make the group stronger because of their teamwork. Do this, and the team will ultimately be your strongest advocate.

What tips do you have for taking on more of a leadership role at work while balancing other responsibilities as a mother, wife and community member? My simple answer is do what feels right to you. Have your priorities clear, manage your calendar to focus on those priorities, don't overcommit, learn how to say no so you stick to priorities, and know that life won't always feel balanced. You are in control—even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes!

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION! LinkedIn and Citi’s Connect: Professional Women’s Network is an online community with more than 465,000 members that helps women achieve the careers they want and discuss issues relevant to their success. Visit linkedin.com/womenconnect for more information and to join the group for free! For more great insights on leadership, check out Leslie Gillin’s discussion in Connect.

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