live long and prosper: cep leadership skills learned from nerd fiction

Live Long and Prosper: CEP Leadership Skills Learned from Nerd Fiction

Joe Purdy, CEP, Product & Services Consultant - SoliumJohn Hammond, CEP, Founder - bendystraw LLCBen Needham, CEP, Sr. Equity Administrator - MindBody

The 8th Annual New England NASPP Regional Conferenceco-hosted by the Boston and Connecticut NASPP Chapters

July 13th, 2016

CPE Credits…

Live Long and Prosper: CEP Leadership Skills Learned from Nerd Fiction2

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Credits are Available!

You will receive one (1) CPE credit after attending this session

You must attend the entire session to be eligible

In order to earn the available credit(s) for this session, you must see

the room monitor at the end of the session to receive your stamp to

be officially signed out.

Electronic certificates will be emailed to you a few weeks after the

conference with the cumulative number of credits earned.

The National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP) is registered with

the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor

of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors.

Web site: www.nasba.org

http://www.nasba.org/

Agenda

Setting the stage

A review of leadership skills and the “people” who

taught us best

Game time: “What would an effective leader do?”

From theory to practice

Q&A


Disclaimer

Names and images from various television shows and

motion pictures are used throughout this presentation.

We are using them under the fair use provision of

copyright law.

All rights are retained by initial owners.


Setting the Stage

Fiction has always been a way for authors to explore

familiar concepts in unfamiliar ways.

This genre, in its many forms, has always featured lots of

different characters with different perspectives and

experiences, and can give viewers a new way of looking

at a common experience.


Setting the Stage

Whether or not you've ever watched any of these shows

doesn't matter: the following leadership concepts are still

relevant to you as an equity professional in 2016. And

that's the beauty of the genre.


Before We Make the Jump To Hyperspace

Think about some of the situations in the workplace that

have been causing you stress.

Keep those in your mind as we go through these

examples, and think about how you can demonstrate

some of these characteristics.

Questions are always welcome!


Skill #1: Inspires and motivates others


Maybe the tactics aren’t HR friendly…but analogies are

very effective and they’re not human

Not just senior level people can motivate – junior level

can motivate and inspire

Think Luke

Enthusiasm is very contagious

Whether you are on the team or lead the team – how

you approach work and projects is critical

Next level up – motivating people who are not a match

Skillset, personality

Side note from clip – office politics and family conflicts

Skill #1: Inspires and motivates others


Skill #2: Displays high integrity and honesty


Honesty may be seen as transparency and openness-

your willingness to communicate what you’re thinking or

feeling, even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular.

Honesty may also be seen as keeping your word,

following through on promises, and delivering on time.

Integrity is often equated with courage- courage to speak

up when your point of view is at odds with a manager’s.

Integrity may also be interpreted as work ethic- in early,

staying late to get the right things done for the company.

Honesty and Integrity helps to build trust. Trust may be

gained as you’re seen to act in the best interest of the

team or organization rather than promoting self.

Skill #2: Displays high integrity and honesty


Skill #3: Solves problems and analyzes issues


HR frowns on the Jedi mind trick

One of the top reasons to get the CEP – being able to

analyze and navigate issues outside your wheelhouse

One of top benefits to having a CEP (or 2 or 10) in your

company is to effectively analyze multi-disciplinary

issues

Other is communication – speaking finance to the

finance guy, etc.

You lead by tackling these problems, not hiding from

them

And since you made it past honesty and integrity,

ignoring isn’t an option

Skill #3: Solves problems and analyzes issues


Skill #4: Drives for results


Short fight scenes…

Use simplicity in communication to bring action

Different ‘cultures’ – different requirements

Activity can be misleading – results are all that matters

Another tip – forget the past

Skill #4: Drives for results


Skill #5: Communicates powerfully and prolifically


Ultimate ‘drives for results’ quote

Do we think too much about effort – what we tried –

versus what we did?

It was so powerful, I really just want to talk about the

quote

Communication is critical for leading – it isn’t long or

short, simple or complex – it is ‘whatever is necessary’

Written, spoken

Body language, attire, hygiene, how you eat, how you drink

Knowledge leads to confidence in communication

Women vs. men

Skill #5: Communicates powerfully and prolifically


Skill #6: Builds relationships


There are several characteristics that make up good,

healthy working relationships:

Trust - When you trust your team, you form a powerful bond that

helps you to be more effective

Mutual Respect - When you respect the people you work with,

you value their input and they value yours

Mindfulness - Take responsibility for your words and actions

Welcoming Diversity - Consider opinions and approaches that

differ from yours

Open Communication - The better and more effectively you

communicate, the richer your relationships will be!

Make friends with Payroll, IT, Legal, Finance and your vendor… it

will pay dividends in the long run!

Skill #6: Builds relationships


Skill #7: Displays technical or professional expertise


Don’t keep your knowledge locked away

Question your superiors and staff – do it effectively

and you will impress them

Most people wield knowledge ineffectively

Also - don’t fear being wrong

Being wrong in the ‘asking/learning’ phase is what it’s

all about

Being wrong in the ‘we did that without thinking’ phase is bad

You have to know a lot to know what you don’t know

The more you know – the easier it is to synthesize

new information

Skill #7: Displays technical or professional expertise


Skill #8: Displays a strategic perspective


Skill #8: Displays a strategic perspective

Critical in plan administration -

‘Risk thresholds’ are very real.

Vendor selections aren’t always ‘let’s let the

administrator pick her favorite.’

Plan designs aren’t ‘what is easiest to administrator.’

Headcount and resources aren’t ‘whatever you need

so you can truly enjoy your time off.’

Living with what you get isn’t enough – excelling at it first

is needed to become a change agent


Skill #9: Develops others


Leadership is about developing others!

Giving someone a fish and you feed them for a day; teaching

someone to fish and you feed them for a lifetime! The more

SME’s you have around you, the less you’ll struggle in the long

term.

Spending time and dollars on education pays dividends

Attend NASPP/GEO/CEPi Events

Earn your CEP Designation and Become a CEPi Volunteer

Read important publications (e.g., CEPi GPS Guides)

Create a culture of development:

Act as a role model

Reinforce the value of learning

Build sustainable processes to support development

Reinforce shared values

Skill #9: Develops others


Skill #10: Innovates


Administrators must innovate

“My company won’t ever…”

“My finance group won’t ever…”

If companies are slow in moving forward, be the solution

not the enabler

If you have done 1-9 well, 10 is easy

Embrace technology, embrace education, embrace

communication

Skill #10: Innovates


Game Time

Nothing that would shatter a Class M planet, right?

Let's see if you've got it with a little game of….


Game Time: Question #1

Your starship is under attack by a Ferengi vessel. Do

you...

a.) Instruct your tactical officer to activate your

cloaking device and hide from the Ferengi's

sensors.

b.) Send a subspace message to Star Fleet

Command to send help.

c.) After briefly consulting with your crew,

accelerate into high warp speed and appear to be

in two places at once to the Ferengi vessel, causing

them to fire in error only to be fired on when your

ship drops out of warp.



If you answered (c)...



You receive orders that one of your executive officers,

an android, must be sent to Starfleet to be

disassembled and studied. Do you...

a.) Refuse the direct order and defend his rights as

a sentient being to a Starfleet judge.

b.) Help him pack his bags.

c.) Order him to obey the directive.



If you answered (b) or (c)...


Game Time: Final Question

You’re a manager on the Death Star and you’ve asked

your direct report to pull a specific report by the end of

the day: s/he doesn’t deliver it, and is gone by the time

you stop by their desk to ask about it. Do you…

a.) Fire them and launch them into space in an

escape pod

b.) Pull the report yourself and never mention it

again

c.) Send a reminder email to be waiting for them

first thing

d.) None of the above


Game Time: Final Question

This one is tougher…there’s potentially some more

context to consider.

Depending on your own style, and the pattern of

behavior previously demonstrated by the employee, the

most effective tactic will differ.


What We’ve Covered

1 – Fiction provides us some aspirational examples of

leadership, as well as some examples of what not to

do.

2 – Identify a few effective leadership traits to start

practicing each day.

3 – Flexibility of perspective always helps: remember

and embrace differences.


Bonus Tip


Questions?


Contact Us

Joseph Purdy, CEP

Product & Services Consultant

Solium

Phone: 203.447.5843

[email protected]

Ben Needham, CEP

Senior Equity Administrator

Mind Body

Phone: 805.465.7971

[email protected]

John Hammond, CEP

Founder

bendystraw, LLC

Phone: 856.267.0870

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]



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