Name: Liz Lemarchand

Title: Chief Operating Officer

Organisation: MediaDev

Liz is the Chief Operating Officer of MediaDev and has over 25 years’ experience in B2B sales and marketing for the tech industry. Liz’s passion for technology marketing has enabled her to provide strategic counsel to thousands of independent software vendors, giving them the support they need to grow their businesses globally. She has helped her clients create multi-million dollar sales pipelines and close business deals worth upwards of $80 Million USD. She is also the co-founder and CEO of Devinsider, a new community-driven platform for software vendors. Liz teaches Master’s degree level leadership and marketing courses at prominent French Universities, and has published hundreds of articles about software marketing in industry publications. She is the author of Tune In & Dial Out: How to Win at B2B Cold Calling, a comprehensive guide to sedentary sales. She is also a certified professional coach with her own private coaching practice.

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 Liz'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?

Trust is built when we have a high degree of rapport with someone. Whether that be with employees, customers, or stakeholders, it's important to remember that building rapport comes when we consistently have authentic interactions with people over time. When you have proven to the other person that you take their concerns seriously and are transparent in your interactions with them, trust is a natural by-product. As a leader, I try to show people who I really am and allow a safe space for others to do the same.

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

Vision and mission to me mean seeing the bigger picture for the company as a whole. It means being able to accurately assess where the organization is now, and where it needs to go in order to continue to thrive in the future. In the real-business world in means focusing on providing the most amount of value to the end-user customer and never losing sight of your big WHY. For me, the vision is what we want to create and the mission is how we get there.

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

A leader can empower the people they lead in many ways. It starts by finding the unique brillance of the members of your team. Ask yourself: what passion do they bring to the organization and how can you work with them to ensure the tasks they focus on match how they are wired? Empowerment comes from leading by example to show people how to take personal responability, then fostering an environment so that they are able to do the same.

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?

One of my greatest mentors is Stacey Martino of the Relationship Development Organization (Relationship U), a personal development program I have been a part of for the past 5 years. Stacey has taught me that in order to be a successful leader, you have to create amazing relationships with people, starting with the relationship you have with yourself. She has inspired me to learn and implement the skill-set needed to have great relationships which has improved all areas of my life. Stacey has taught me to never say “I can’t,” but rather ask myself qualify questions such as “How can I?” which has radically changed how I make decisions in business.

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

I maintain focus by setting my intention each day on how I want to show up. For me, leadership is more about who I am BEING, not necessarily what I am DOING. Responding intentionally instead of reacting in the heat of the moment means creating space within the moment and choosing the best course of action. I am a firm believer in the Law of Attraction and that helps me stay focused on the outcomes I desire so that I can take small consistent action over time to get there.

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?

At the end of each year, I take a day to conduct an annual review to look at the goals I set, outline what worked well, what didn’t, what I want to do more of, what I want to eliminate… and use that to plan out my objectives for the following year. It is a very intentional process. It enables me to see what I have accomplished and what is important for me to focus on for the year to come based on those results. I take time to reflect on my big picture WHY which always keeps me going when the unexpected inevitable happens. At the start of each month, I block time on my calendar to make sure that I am carving out the hours I need to move those bigger projects forward. Each week I determine the tasks that are most important for me to accomplish and make sure to prioritize those tasks first. It’s important for me that each week I have the space for uninterrupted work time so I can get into a state of flow, which is when I produce my best results!

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

The best advice I would give to a young leader who is having trouble delegating effectively is to have a look at why that is. What are the reasons you don’t want to delegate? What are the positive outcomes you are getting by not delegating? What are the negative ones? Getting clarity on the reasons behind the action always helps me shift my perspective and get unstuck. Many times young leaders don’t delegate out of fear that no-one else could do those tasks well. Other times they don’t delegate because not doing so fills their need for significance. Understanding the origin of the action can help you see it differently, which enables you to find solutions by making other (conscious) choices moving forward. I would also add that getting a coach to help you work through the things you are struggling with can be a great way to become a better leader. Don’t hesitate to seek out help when you feel like you need it!