Name: Leslie Deamer

Title: Real Estate Agent

Organisation: Windermere

I'm a connector and operational strategist with a solutions-oriented mindset.

My work has helped CXOs and senior executives in over 75 organizations, including over 30 of the current Fortune 500 corporations. It includes extensive experience in technology, professional services, healthcare, financial services, and CPG.

I drive business transformation, develop growth strategies, and deliver exceptional stakeholder outcomes. Adept at cross-functional collaboration and alignment, skilled in strategy planning and execution, program management, and operational and marketing functions.

I've led consulting and global marketing account and delivery teams for top international agencies, consultancies, pre- and post-IPO technology startups, and Fortune 100 companies. I began my career at the intersection of business and technology on Wall Street, building and implementing enterprise software products and platforms.

My approach combines visionary leadership with a hands-on operational mindset, leveraging deep industry knowledge to identify innovation and growth opportunities and implement effective solutions. Agile problem-solving and exceptional connector skills enable me to foster cross-functional collaboration and achieve strategic objectives in dynamic environments.

I have recently used all these skills and experiences to start my own business and transition into real estate as both an investor and advisor to my clients. I'm loving the control of my destiny and managing my own business.

Expertise: Fractional COO | Strategy Planning & Execution | Business Strategy & Operations | Business Transformation | Client & Stakeholder Mgmt | Governance & Program Management | Marketing & Communications | Chief of Staff

Certifications: AI for Business Growth, Prompt Engineering, Principles of OKRs, McChrystal’s Chief of Staff Academy, Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

We’ve gone through the interviews and asked the best of the best to come back and answer 7 MORE Questions on Leadership.

I hope Leslie's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. As a leader, how do you build trust with employees, customers and other stakeholders?

I think the best way to build any productive, trusting relationship is to be of service and value. I believe in the servant leadership philosophy - what can I do to enable or grow those around me?

2. What do 'VISION' and 'MISSION' mean to you? And what does it actually look like to use them in real-world business?

I see the vision as a future view, the long-term aspirations of the company. It outlines what the organization wants to become or achieve; it's an inspirational "North Star".

Mission is a current or present perspective on the organizations' purpose; what the organization does, who it serves, and how it achieves its goals. It provides a practical roadmap for daily operations and decision-making.

3. How can a leader empower the people they're leading?

Communicate the goals of the organization and their role in making that happen. Understanding their people's goals and aspirations, providing regular feedback on skills and performance, providing them with resources to grow and develop, and removing barriers and friction points. Acknowledging their contributions.

4. Who are some of the coaches or mentors in your life who have had a positive influence on your leadership? Can you please tell a meaningful story about one of them?

Different people at different times. But one s,tands out showing me what the difference was between being a good manager and a good leader. They demonstrated to me that a leader has a vision, inspires change and growth, builds realtionships and that authority is earned, based on trust, not based on hierarchy. Lastly, you become a facilitator of decisions not the maker of all decisions.

5. Leadership is often more about what you DON'T do. How do you maintain focus in your role?

Carving out thinking time, getting feedback from those I work with on how I can optimize, inspire, and enable them, what to stop doing, start doing, and continue to do. Have some sort of scorecard to understand how the organization is performing, so I can know my team is on track and probe when not.

6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Everyone plans differently. How do you plan for the week, month and years ahead in your role?

Clearly identify business goals. Make sure the team understands and buys into them. Employ tools such as Balance Scorecards, SWOT Analysis, OKRs, and Business Model Canvas as appropriate.

7. What advice would you give to a young leader who is struggling to delegate effectively?

This African proverb perfectly captures the essence of teamwork: "If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." To me, it demonstrates the power of collaboration, and the only way to collaborate is to delegate.

It emphasizes teamwork and balancing speed and sustainability. While working alone (without delegation) may lead to quick results, delegating tasks to a team allows for more substantial and lasting achievements. This aligns with the principle of delegation as a means to expand the capacity and reach of a leader's efforts.

Fostering growth and development: Delegation, like the parable suggests, is about going far together. It allows team members to develop new skills and take on responsibilities, contributing to the overall growth of the organization.

Sharing the burden: The parable indirectly speaks to the importance of distributing workload, which is a key aspect of delegation.

Building trust and empowerment: The idea of "going together" in the parable relates to the trust-building aspect of delegation. Effective delegation involves entrusting tasks to others, which can lead to increased confidence and a sense of ownership among team members.