Name: Debbie Millin

Title: CEO / Founder

Organisation: UpperLevel Solutions

Debbie Millin has over 20 years of executive experience in disruptive industries scaling some of the fastest growing companies in America. She has developed and implemented a new competency model that leverages technology and humanity to deliver tremendous corporate value, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement.

Debbie has led two different companies to be the fastest growing in Massachusetts, most recently growing a company from $17 million to $1 billion in revenue and a $4.2 billion valuation in less than six years. She has created a new global multi-billion dollar category and defined the future of global employment solutions with proprietary technology and product innovation. She is passionate about creating a customized mix of people, processes, and technology to enable companies to scale.

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

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

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

Adjusting your leadership style to align with where a company is in its lifecycle. Every company is unique, yet there are many similarities in the journey of an organization - it is incredibly important for leaders to make sure they are meeting the company 'where it is' at each stage. A good leader will see 4 steps ahead and know where they want the company to go, but will also understand that you need to bring the organization along in phases to meet that vision.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I'm smiling at this question - the first thing that came to mind is my childhood. I have been taking on leadership positions from elementary school through college, so I think I have always been a leader in some form.

Early in my career I discovered project management and loved it. I volunteered for the largest, most complex assignments and got a reputation for getting things done. Leading projects turned into leading departments and eventually leading entire companies.

The underlying theme of all those leadership roles was that I wanted to make the world a better place.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

While each day varies slightly, there is a general structure I follow: time for myself, home, and work.

Each day I make sure I take about 20 minutes to have my coffee and catch up on what's going on in the world before jumping into work. I also take a walk by the ocean almost every day, and find ways to move throughout the day even if it's just some stretches between meetings. Women have a tendency to put themselves last on their list - I have learned that putting myself first prepares me to better support my family and work.

I also make sure I'm doing something for my home or my personal relationships each day - reaching out to a friend I haven't spoken with recently, chatting with my parents or grown children, doing a project in my home.

From a work perspective, each week is different. I start with the meetings I have that week and block off time around them to work on tasks, and time to think. It's important for leaders to make sure we don't get lost in the weeds, and keep up to date on the latest developments in our industry.

I go to bed relatively early most days (unless I'm out at an event) because I'm far more productive in the morning, so getting a good night's rest sets the foundation for me to get up early and have a productive day.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

I work with a lot of startups and rapid-growth companies. I have seen many times people be a perfect fit at a point in time, but not necessarily be the right person to grow the company to the next level. For leaders, it's important to identify that as early as you can - it is better for the company to have the right people in the right seat, and it is better for the individual to have a gracious exit before they get to a point of being unable to perform.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

The Right Kind of Wrong by Amy Edmondson.

In a world where we are often pushed to be 'perfect', this book is a great reminder that innovation actually comes from making mistakes and learning.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Step out of your comfort zone. Many people early in their careers, especially women, feel like they need to be an expert in everything listed in a job description before they can take on a role. It is simply not true, so don't hold yourself back.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

I had a 3pm meeting scheduled - it was nothing urgent, just a normal check in. One of my team members told me that another of my direct reports had his daughter's play that afternoon, but he was just going to miss it because of the meeting.

I am so glad this person let me know about it - I updated the meeting to the following day at 10am and sent a note to my team saying something like....

Nobody will remember if we have this meeting today at 3pm or tomorrow at 10am, but Mike's daughter will remember that he was at her play. See you at 10am.

It is important for leaders to be driven, hold people accountable and lead your team and your company to grow, but it is equally important to be human through the journey.