Episode 123: Connecting with Employees and Making The Most of Change with Shona Elliott

Shona Elliott is an experienced senior leader who is passionate about helping other senior leaders connect and engage with their greatest assets – their employees – for the purposes of increasing employee retention, employee engagement and achieving an organization’s strategic goals. As a previous CEO, with fifteen years of senior leadership experience, Shona understands the many challenges and competing priorities of busy executives. Having been in their shoes, designing and successfully implementing her organizations’ strategic plans, she recognized and harnessed the power of employee engagement to achieve her organizations’ goals. 

Throughout her fifteen years as a senior leader – both in healthcare and for-profit organizations in Canada and the United States – Shona has a proven track record helping organizations achieve cultural renewal with a people-centered focus. Through connection with leaders and employees, Shona has led an organization through the process to achieve two Top 100 Employer designations. Shona has extensive expertise in strategic planning, transformational leadership, organizational development, and quality management. 

Shona previously worked and lived in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, where she obtained her bachelor’s of science, honors degree in biochemistry. Shona also holds an MBA from NYIT, an advanced program certificate in human resources management from the University of Toronto, and obtained her certification as an ISO 9000 auditor. She now lives with her family in Edmond, Oklahoma. Shona is an avid golfer, having golfed six out of the seven continents. In addition, she is a novice biohacker, a cautious skier, a world traveler, as well as a food and cooking enthusiast.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• Shona's professional background and her long leadership journey.  
• The power of relating to and understanding your employees and their work.
• Strategic innovation that Shona is currently witnessing; the two camps of leaders.
• Shona's recommendations for her clients for managing the difficulties of the pandemic.
• The importance of gratitude and how this can help shift stationary mindsets.
• First steps for implementing healthier habits; starting with nutrition and sleep. 
• The difficulty of navigating the negative emotion in which we find ourselves.
• Getting in touch with purpose; an example from Shona of accessing your why.
• Assessing strategic visions with the amount that is unknown at the moment. 
• Scenario planning and adapting to the new normal and working accordingly.
• Making the most of the current landscape — allowing experimentation and mistakes.
• Shona's advice for healthier, more consistent sleep habits!
• Some exciting news from Shona about her book and future projects!
• How to connect with Shona online and the great resources she is offering.  

Additional Resources:

Website: www.shonaelliott.org 

Email: shona@shonaelliott.org 

Mobile: 4058883893 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shonaelliott1 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shona-elliott-965581b1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShonaElliott4 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shona.elliott.566

Create Value as a Senior Leader: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083N4W883

Links Mentioned:

Marianne Williamson