Leading From The Heart

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 Want to know what makes a great CEO? Maria Enna-Cocciolone, the founder of INSKIN COSMEDICS reveals the lessons she has learnt in the skincare business.

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 “Some people are born leaders, and some leaders are born women”. I heard this quote for the first time the other day and it got me thinking, as a woman with no formal business studies maybe there’s some truth in this line…

Over the years I have had many a discussion with other CEO’s and leaders which sometimes left me comparing my own leadership technique against theirs (mostly males). This isn’t the start of a male versus female ‘who’s the better leader’ debate, rather an opportunity to discuss different leadership styles.

Having a husband that has worked most of his career in Corporate I have noticed men (and many a businesswoman too) tend to focus on a purely analytical approach to meet business objectives as opposed to my conscious decision to lead from the heart. Many a time in leadership skill discussions I have felt their slight amusement in my heartfelt technique fully aware that some believe that the only way to be successful is to go after the dollar- the only thing that has never been my primary focus.

If we look at the simple definition of leadership, it is “the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal”. It’s fair to say giving that goal a dollar value is definitely a great way to measure achievement, but it always leaves me thinking how does it leave the people, the heartbeat of the business, feeling?

When pushed to explain what my definition of leading by the heart is, I would have to say it’s “CEO’ing as opposed to being a CEO”. I like to think of myself as a verb (a doing word, as I was taught at school) and not a noun (an object or a title). The heart-first managerial approach is one that depends above all on building relationships that not only motivate a team but captures the individual. Leaving no employee behind ensures the magical strength in a team.

Whilst I have never been fond of a formal business plan (I mean, who can write a five-year plan, even a three-year plan when the world is evolving so darn fast?!), I have always been a great believer in Core Values. From the beginning, I have had them clearly documented and 12 years on I still today introduce them to every new team member personally.

As you read through our core values it’s easy to see from the onset my focus has not been to build a business rather an emotionally connected culture. So many businesses lack heart and soul (the driving factor) and sadly this is often the reason why people come and go, especially those that are looking for more than “just a job”.

Building a culture depends on not just sharing your dream – the destination, but just as importantly the how – the journey. Here are a few things that matter to me.

Integrity – Doing the right thing when no one is watching. I employ adults and experts, neither of which require micro-managing. The key is to teach new employees what we call the ‘INSKIN WAY’, processes and protocols that are unique to the business, our core values and their KPI’s. It shocks me how many people come to us looking for a new job and one of the primary reasons they give for leaving their old job is because they are ‘micro-managed’. Once employees understand how the business runs and what is expected they should be empowered to do the job using their individual style and technique. Once trust is established, results speak for themselves.

Customer-Centric – a priority not a department. When it comes to customers, we have two, the internal and external. The internal are our BDM’s that connect on behalf of the external customer. The external customer is our partner (our client). They both get equal affection. The answer is always yes, on a win-win basis and we do whatever it takes to meet their needs in a timely fashion. Our values and old fashioned, built on common respect and the expectation is that it goes both ways.

Transparency – we’re only humans after all. We call it as it is, we are authentic, we don’t hide from our mistakes, we don’t blind people with bullshit, we pick our alliance partners based on common values and we stand by our philosophies and commitments. What you see is what you get. People love knowing where they stand, and no one needs to wait for a formal meeting to find out.

It’s important to build a culture that comes from the top.