I would like to begin this episode by acknowledging that I am located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and I am privileged and honored to live and learn on the unceded and un-surrendered territory of the Anishnaabeg Algonquin nation.
The Narrator:Hello, and welcome to Trench Leadership, a podcast from the front. Trench Leadership is a proud supporter of the Concussion Legacy Foundation for their leadership in advancing the study, treatment, and prevention of brain trauma for athletes, veterans, and other at risk groups. Trench Leadership, a podcast from the front, is a show for emerging leaders of all professions that offers advice, inspiration, and practical tools from a diverse breadth of leaders who have made the mistakes, had the triumphs, and are still learning along the way. Here's your host, Simon Kardynal.
Simon Kardynal:Hello, and welcome to another episode of Trench Leadership, a podcast from the front. It's easy to lose sight of ourselves, especially when we become formal leaders, because we all have an image of what we expect our perfect leader to look and sound like. And when we're trying to be our own very best leader, we tend to try and mimic the characteristics and traits of the leaders we look up to. But here's the thing. As we're creating our own leadership persona, we run the danger of losing ourselves if we don't stay true to ourselves. And so in this episode, you'll hear from Luis Baez, a global sales enablement, leader and author, who will impress upon us the importance of not losing ourselves. Luis will share his personal story and use his life experiences to help us ensure that we can recognize ourselves and be our truest, most authentic selves, creating our own personal leadership styles. But like always, it's never about me, it's always about the guests. So I'm going to try and do what I never really do very well, which is be quiet and introduce Luis. Hey, Luis, how's it going today?
Luis Baez:Hi Simon, how are you my friend?
Simon Kardynal:may be aware, you know, I quite often I'll do these pre chats and stuff. And I just felt that when when you and I were talking, there was just something different about it. And this is going to be a great talk. I'm really excited for this. How about you? Where are you at right now?
Luis Baez:Oh, well, I am based in Northern California. So I'm in Sacramento at the moment. And I am three hours behind you. So I've got a few more hours of sunlight going into this Friday. But I appreciate this opportunity to chat it up with you. And I hope that the audience today walks away with just a nugget of inspiration. Just a little something to walk away with.
Simon Kardynal:Oh there's no question in my mind, they're gonna have lots to think about and lots of tools to help them be the very best leaders that they want to be, and their most authentic selves. But listen, before we get into it, how about you tell the audience a little bit about Luis, where are you coming from? And how do we get to the point that you and I are doing a podcast?
Luis Baez:That's a great question. I embarked on this journey as someone who was first in their family to ever pursue an education and a career in corporate, not really knowing what I'm doing. And ultimately, not really, still to this day, knowing what I want to be when I grew up, I think I still want to be a pilot. But I set off on this course, I grew up in New York City, and went off to college, did that whole thing and being first in my family to pursue an education, I wanted to do, I want to be a doctor that didn't quite fit. I wanted to be a lawyer. And that didn't quite fit. And then I did the business thing. And that seemed to be a better fit. And I found my tribe, really in sales and working in advertising sales in New York City. This was during the late 2000s, early 2010s. And that's when I got my start at places like WebMD and the BBC selling advertising. And I made my way over to the West Coast chasing that Silicon Valley dream of working in the Bay. Having those free lunches and perks and benefits and, you know, working in an environment that was supposed to be a lot more inclusive. And growing up in New York City, you know, was a great place. I'm an out gay man. First generation Puerto Rican grew up in the South Bronx, it was an amazing experience. But I in corporate settings never really felt like I could be my whole self, in those sorts of environments at that time. You know, it's a very different world now. So I made my way west because there was that promise of working in these bigger companies and having these more inclusive cultures and, you know, really wanting to have more diverse thinking at the table. And that's what brought me to California. Ultimately, I showed up with no job no car, and wad full of cash in my pocket and a big dream. And ultimately I was recruited by companies like LinkedIn, Google, Uber, and Tesla to pursue these really amazing opportunities in sales leadership. And then thereafter, I spent some time as a consultant and sales coach. And now I am the global revenue enablement leader of a startup. And so that's been sort of my trajectory, as I've come up in sales. And I trying to now really inspire people to think differently about the sales profession. And think about us not as sleazy people, but actually good hearted people who, you know, want to do good business. I think there are enough examples of that now, and I want to shed some light on that.
Simon Kardynal:Well, thank you so much for that, you know, that's a really important message you brought out there, and it's something that we're going to talk about a little bit later on in the podcast is the importance of understanding that we're all just people and that each one of us is unique, but at the end of the day, we're all people, regardless of where our backgrounds are, we're all human beings, we're all doing our things. And most people just kind of want to live their lives and, and just do what they want to do. As long as you know, and be left alone, really, it just kind of do what they want to do. And that's a big trait there. It's something that's important. And I love the fact that you were able to recognize early on, this isn't the life that you wanted to do, and you wanted to go and you kept trying to find something and kept trying to find the thing that spoke to you about how you want to be and how you want to represent. That's, that's amazing. And I applaud that because a lot of people get stuck in a rut of make money, do whatever, and then it becomes safe. That's the thought. Do you have any thoughts on that at all?
Luis Baez:You know, I think the pressure is very real. The you know, when we think about even like present day, as we're recording this, we're looking at all the murmurs and realities of a global recession and feeling what that looks like. Right. And, you know, I think that when we think about sort of the psyche, or the zeitgeist, if you will, is everyone's really just looking for security and safety, psychological safety, physical safety, right, and our jobs and our careers are our livelihoods. And I think a lot of people are in a position right now, where their back is up against the wall, and they've got to be a team player, they've got to put in the extra hours, they've got to, you know, keep a tight lip, about certain things that they don't agree with. Because they're concerned about keeping their jobs, you know, and sort of weathering the storm. However, you know, there is also an opportunity to bring a greater degree and level of authenticity and purpose to the ways that we show up as a leader. I think that right now, what I see as a leader of a company, as a leader of my own online business, and as someone that steps into other businesses and sort of looks at, you know, what's going on with what's going on, where's the revenue? Where's the money? Why did the world dry out? Right, I think ultimately, what we're losing sight of is that we are all having this very human experience and in a corporate setting, right, we have to be able to drive business and keep the lights on. But I think that there, there has to be also a way where we acknowledge that a person's sense of safety is definitely impacting their productivity, which ultimately impacts company's success and productivity. And so this is, I think, the time for us to bring a different flavor of leadership that isn't so clamped down, but instead really inspires people, right? Because right now, I think that's what we're missing is, we're all burned out, we all just got through, we're not even through, we're still in the middle of but we got through the thick of a pandemic, right. And that completely radically changed the way that we did things. And now we still have to keep the lights on and the economy has to keep on churning, right? That can't happen when our batteries are all on empty. And so we have to find a way to acknowledge that and reconcile that with the real need to be productive. And I think that one of the ways that we can do that is thinking differently about leadership and authenticity, right? Let's acknowledge the elephant in the room. Let's do something about it to take care of ourselves, put our oxygen masks on. And then let's go let's go right back and get to what we came here to do.
Simon Kardynal:No, and I couldn't I couldn't agree with you any more than that. Because one of the things that I've experienced coming out of this pandemic or on whatever side of it however you want a person wants to discuss that is the reality of it is that people, I think one of the great things that came out of it was the fact that people were able to show their more authentic human selves versus be the business manager be this leader be that leader what not what the expectation that they felt they should look like and act like and sound like because it forced people to have to zoom, have to do a zoom meeting. And then have their their very young child scream that they're they're going bathroom in the background or cats knocking over cameras or, or or people wearing shorts but they have, you know, a business suit on up top it humanized leadership. And I think the thing that people need to remember about that is that human is still there. If that happened to you, as a leader, you're still a leader, you're also still a human being. And we need to hold on to that authenticity. Because that authenticity is the thing that your your direct reports will really latch on to. When they see that people are human beings, that we're all humans going through the same troubles and having the same things and experiences. That's the type of thing that bonds a team together. You have any thoughts on that at all?
Luis Baez:Yeah, I think it's just time to have an honest conversation, right? I think what's happened in the last few years is the cats out the bag, all the things that we thought were necessary to be successful or productive, all went out the window. And we have to revisit the ways that we communicate, connect, produce, distribute everything. Like every aspect of, of business life and our business world, and even our personal lives, right, all of it was impacted. And I think that when we see a leader, trying to smile through the trouble through the storm, trying to focus on being productive without acknowledging the real challenge, right, the real psychological burden of pushing through all of these things, a war, a pandemic, and everything else in between. Right, the people are not going to be here for that. We live in a different world, right? I think what we have to acknowledge also is all of us are having trouble with attracting talent and retaining talent. Right, everyone right now has the option to either show up for a job or start a TikTok account. Like, this is your option right now to make a living? Right? You got to be online, and you got to be on the laptop anyway, are you going to do it for someone else's LLC, or you're going to do it for your own? Right, and acknowledging that that's the option, we have to make it worthwhile for people to stay with us, and to really, you know, batten down the hatches and really ride this out with us. And so what can we offer them, right? If we can't, if they're not motivated, let's say by benefits, perks, salaries, and all these things, because they have options, then what can positively motivate a person, it's human connection, right, it's being seen, heard and understood, it's being invested in, right, it's about being in an environment where they can bring their whole selves and grow and thrive. And that comes from the top down in terms of the culture, the the precedent, and that's all within the sort of leadership to look at the situation and say, We're either going to micromanage or we're going to let people breathe, right and, and have a human experience and give them the tools and the agency and everything that they need to be productive on their terms, right? Because it's one thing to strap someone down at a desk. And it's another thing to just set a goal and a deadline and trust that person to do what they need to do. But that's a culture, that's, it's about the culture, and that starts from the top with leadership.
Simon Kardynal:I completely agree. And when you and I had been speaking, we were talking about the need to keep the emotion as being part of a leader because that shows part of our authentic selves, to show people that we have emotions that we're going to be, we're going to make mistakes, and we're going to make jokes and all these different things. And it's okay when there's, there's not necessarily that need to be the stoic leader who has a very strong, straight strong back and is unable to turn their lips upwards, it's okay to have that emotional connection with your with your team. Of course, there's always different quirks to those different things in different times that that might not be the best approach. But that's also part of being leaders to know when that time is to have those stronger emotional connections. And that's just my perspective of that. I'd be curious to hear
Luis Baez:Yeah, I tried to think about those instances what you think about that. where, you know, during economic crises, or any sort of public, you know, concern or anything like that has come up, you know, where I wasn't the leader, you know, I, I remember looking to my leaders to sort of set the tone for how we approach things, give us answers, give us clarity, give us purpose, you know, and, and guide us, you know, and either, like be real with us about things not being okay. And, and when it might be or, you know, like really, truly sort of lighting the path for us, right. And so I think about those experiences that I've had, I've been a seller and I've been in corporate through the 2008 crash, right? Like I remember that sense of panic that everyone was experiencing on the sales floor we're all looking at, like what? Like these headlines are this is really happening, right? Like, and, and you know, just this major concern about our business, our customers, what's going to happen from here, you know, and we were all just sitting and waiting for answers, we were sitting in waiting for our leaders to, you know, set the tone, let us know what the plan was, let us know where we were doubling down what we were letting go of etcetera. And I remember the anxiety that I experienced until those answers came. Until we had, you know, a plan of action from leadership and until they stepped into the room and set the tone, right and seeing that confidence really created a sense of relief for me, right? Again, we're up against people's real anxieties present day with, you know, their need to, yes, be productive and have a sense of purpose, but like really, truly on a human level with human instincts survive and keep their jobs. Right. And so they're looking to, you know, be productive, do their jobs, but they need, they need someone to lay the plan out for them. They need that North star, they need to understand that there is still a sense of purpose to what it is that's being done in the workplace. Especially because again, they've got options, right? As much as we want to talk about people losing jobs, some industries are accelerating their growth during times like these, right. And again, people have that TikTok option these days, this day and age. And so you've got to make it worth their while to ride it out with you.
Simon Kardynal:I completely agree with that point as well. And the trick with that is I can't speak for what's happened in the United States, but I know in Canada, and in the area I live in in Ottawa, Ontario, there's every, not every business, but the vast majority of businesses have help wanted signs in the door. So like you said that people have options, if they don't like what they're doing. They're just go find something else. And in this market, that's quite possible. And the other reality of that is, is the Gen Xs is the Gen Zs, they're, they have a lot of their traditionally or stereotypically, if we want to word it that way. More often than not it the job is not about making money. There's that element to it, of course, but it's about being being fulfilled and being appreciated. So if they're not there, and then they have other options, they're just going to go find something else. So my question to you Luis, is how can we help emerging leaders build those strong teams so that people won't want to go find other employment? What tools would you have?
Luis Baez:Yeah, I think there's a lot of validity to the sort of safety precautions that airlines will take you through before takeoff. One of the things that always stands out for me, is that the advice to put your own mask on first, right before assisting anyone else, right? And that's really real, right? Like, if you don't take care of your core self, you cannot possibly help someone else. Right? You are someone in need of help in that instance. And so I reflect on that when I think about like, what does it take to be a leader that thrives in this sort of capacity? And can it show up for people this way, you have to be good, you know, in your own skin, in your own body, in your own mind. And so I think that there is not enough emphasis or probably not enough of a discussion around like executive and leadership burnout, and what we're all experiencing right now. So you've got to prioritize first and foremost, your mental health, right? That's where I like to encourage people to think about whether it's mindfulness, practice therapy, whatever it is, that works for you, you want to get to a place where you recognize the connection between the quality of mind and the quality of life. Right? Your thoughts, impact your decisions, your actions, the actions impact your outcomes, whether you succeed, or you don't, if you have a terrible quality of mind, you're going to take terrible actions show up in terrible ways and see terrible outcomes. But if your head is in the right space, and then you will take care of everything else, including the body, including the relationships, right, your development, the care for the customer, and everyone else, and then you yield the outcome of success. So I think that that's not something to be overlooked. I know that I'm way oversimplifying it, but it is a practice, right, take care of the mind, start there, and you'll see the trickle down effect. And once you've taken care of number one, and focus on that, sort of like wellness. The other thing that you've got to think about is your own development. I think as leaders, we're often teaching coaching, consulting and advising, we're pouring out into other people. We need to find ways to have people pour into us, right? Find yourself a coach or a mentor, or someone who is a few steps ahead of you. That can call out, you know, hey, watch your step over here. Watch this step over there. I think it's so critical and underestimated and undervalued, right? Like, I've made it a point to reach out to the CEOs and other people in other companies to just pick their brains, right? Just like, What is your perspective on this situation? How would you have handled this? Tell me about a time where you confronted these sorts of things, right, I'd have to actively pursue these sort of relationships, to have the spaces to have these heart, you know, open one on one sort of conversations and be vulnerable as a leader and saying, I don't have it all figured out, I got some time, you know, some, some improvement in some learning to do myself, all right. So take care of the mind, take care of the body, take care of yourself, but then also invest in your development, don't defer it, don't delay it and make it a priority. And it doesn't have to be this overwhelming thing I suggested getting a coach or I suggested finding a mentor, could be book, could be a podcast, or an audiobook. However, it is that you prefer to learn, engage in it actively prioritize it actively, right. Because if you don't have new ideas and new perspectives, then you have nothing to offer your people, you're going to be spewing the same rhetoric and seeing the same results, there's no growth. And so that would be the first step and first piece of advice to a leader. Beyond that, I think you have to develop ways of listening to your team. So think about the cadence of team meetings, the cadence of one on one meetings with your direct reports, the cadence of your meetings with partners, cross collaborators, cross functional folks that you lean on to get things done. Right, there's opportunity for for listening, for developing your active listening, and for just understanding through coaching, what it is that people need? What are the common denominators? Where are the gaps in the business? Who's the one person who's the bottleneck, right? Like, that's those are things that you uncover when you actively listen. And so I would say to a leader do not dismiss or deprioritize your sync ups or your one on ones with your direct reports. I think, in the midst of a million priorities, we often say, hey, let's meet later today, or let's just do this tomorrow morning. Don't, don't don't do that. Right. Because then that you don't have the intelligence, you don't have the feedback. And you can't see what's coming. As a leader, you can't plan ahead. You can't possibly anticipate if you don't have intelligence. So think about the ways that you listen to your team. And then I think the other thing is redefine your your role as a leader, right? It isn't about you. Right, you decided to take on the responsibility and the title of leading a group. It's their success that matters. It's not your reputation, it's not your ego. It's not how you look, if you let all your subject matter experts shine, it makes you look good, right. But if you want to take the credit for everything, and you want to hold the mic and take the reins on things, no one will ever respect you or admire you truly. And so think about the team productivity. And if that doesn't appeal to, if you're still really egocentric, then think about how everyone else's results will make you look good.
Simon Kardynal:Yeah, there's always a fallback and there's always a little side wind to these things. I gotta say I love the quote you just came out with with recognize the connection between quality of life and quality of work, the end of this podcast, we'll have that in there for certain, I just, I, I can't stress that enough to anyone out there is to recognize that difference. And I think the big thing with that that I'm taking is to always have those introspective looks. Look back at yourself, take a moment in the in the middle and say, okay, is this what is what's this? Like? Am I Am I plowing through because I feel I need to? What's this doing to me physically, emotionally? All the different ways what's happening there, take those self tests. There's a reason why brand new airplanes and cars are doing, the computers are doing those self diagnostics all the time, because they're making sure they're healthy working machines. And it's the exact same thing with human beings, we need to take that time and do those self diagnostics, because if we don't, odds are by the time we're taking it, it's already gone too far we need to go. If I was using the stick with the automobile analogy, we have to go to the garage. But of course, I'm talking to the hospital. And when you're talking about listening, I, I it comes up all the time, and I can't agree any more any more emphatically with it in that act of listening is a skill that a muscle that is absolutely essential for leaders to always be working on. And I can tell if I could offer a tip to tell when a person is not actively listening. If you're receiving information, and you're thinking of ways to answer to the answer there point, you're not actively listening, you're not in the moment, you're not present, what you're actually doing, you're just trying to find a way to either stay in the conversation and respond. And that's not necessarily a negative thing. But you're not listening to what the person is saying, because that person has already moved on, or they're expanding on their point, and you're not hearing it. Because you're thinking about what's was already said, you're not actively listening, stay in the moment. And just think about that, because that's one of the things that I find when I'm doing that to myself, if I'm cutting someone off when they're talking, that's also another good sign that's telling me that I'm not actively listening to what's being said, because I want to get my point out there. And a lot of times, leaders, especially new leaders, that are coming off a technical skill set, just are aching to get their technical expertise out there. But your role has changed. You're the leader, you're there to listen to what your direct reports are saying. And then add to that not be the answer. Not all the time. Sometimes that's the case. But more often, that's not the case. And and your point to redefine yourself and understand that this is not about you. There's a reason why so many leader leadership coaches bring that up, because it's not about us. Our role as leaders, is to help our teams succeed in every way that we can use that word. So Luis, I couldn't agree any more with anything that you've said here, and they're strong and powerful, impactful. Points. Thank you very much for that.
The Narrator:Hi, there, it's Glen. The voiceover artist. I'm back. And you guessed it, if you're hearing me, that means we're at the midpoint of this episode. Do you have a topic that you feel would benefit from emerging leaders? Then send us a note at simonk@trenchleadership.ca. And if your topic is used on the show, you will be invited as a special guest host for your episode. Follow Trench Leadership, a podcast from the front on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. This podcast is made possible by listeners like you. If you feel we've earned it, please help us grow our following by leaving a review and sharing the episodes on your social media platforms. And now back to the show.
Luis Baez:If I could add one more thing to anyone's toolbox who might be listening,
Simon Kardynal:Of course
Luis Baez:I find that, as a leader, particularly in my purview. I support, my full time job, regions across the world. So I'm thinking on a global level at all times. And I'm thinking of the nuances and the needs of different regions. And I'm thinking about all the sort of connective tissue that needs to be happening across the business. And what I find is that it's really difficult, as much as I, it's on my mind, and it's important and is a priority, it is quite difficult to deal with things when they just live in your brain. And so I find that journaling pen and paper Project Manager Tools, Asana boards, whatever it is that you, whatever your vibe and your frequency is, get things out of your brain, right? Like there's just something really productive about getting all the things that are swirling in your mind, putting them on paper or on a screen, and they become tangible things that you look at and have to approach. And then you start to deprioritize eliminate and illuminate the things that are really important, right? I just say, you know if they can offer any advices just don't trust your brain, your brain can't quite figured it all out by itself.
Simon Kardynal:Yes, I know, often I can start to tell when when I'm getting saturated and overwhelmed. It's like that, the fog analogy we've all heard about where you're just, head's kind of in the fog, and you're kind of seeing around, but you can't quite see it and you start making silly mistakes and stuff, and you start acting in ways that isn't really normally like yourself. That's how it is for me anyways. And then once I kind of take a step back, the fog clears and I'm able to move forward. So part of this podcast is about helping emerging leaders learn how they can be their most truest, authentic selves. And I'm curious to know what your thoughts on how can we use our voices to be able to do that? How can we help emerging leaders use their strengths to help go from going forward?
Luis Baez:I think that, one of the things that I advise people when I'm coaching them, is you know, whether you're an intrapreneur or an entrepreneur, right, whether you're someone and building within a company or building your own company, you want to be, you want to think about your board of advisors, right? You want to think about the people that you surround yourself with, whose expertise you rely on, whose support you might rely on, gut checks, sounding boards, people who will hold a mirror up to you as needed. Right, if you were a chief executive officer of a company, you'd have, you know, someone advising on the operations front and another financial officer over here, the tech officer over there. You know, if you are a manager, a first time manager, right, I would be thinking about, Okay, well, who am I, who's my board of advisors. Who's going to help me craft the emails that communicate the things that I can't quite communicate for myself, who is going to be the person to validate and give me the sanity checks that this is how it's supposed to be, who's going to push me when I don't know a skill, you know, who's going to be the one who's going to coach me and train me up on this, who I can rely on, who's the person who's gonna get me up to speed on pulling my own reports, and helping me be a little bit more self sufficient, right? You have to think about the people that will help you be most productive. Think about aligning yourself with them, pour into them, right, and then think about, you know, making several deposits before you ask for withdrawal. Right, I think that's going to be very important is recognizing that if you are a leader, you can't possibly do it alone, you won't have all the answers. And, you know, if you knew it all, and were all the way up to speed then then really, what would be the purpose for you then right? If you had nothing to learn, if you had no way of expanding your capacity when you show up in your work. And so I would say be be humble and be open to understanding that leadership is not, it's not a one person show.
Simon Kardynal:Thank you very much for that, as you were talking about that, I was formulating a question in my mind and it and it's still kind of floating around in there. So I guess the best way to put it would be, let's say a new leader is out there. And they're not quite sure how they can be themselves, like what what kind of advice would you have for someone who wants to get their voice out there? They want to be their truly authentic selves, but they just don't know where to where to look to define, to define themselves? How would you? What advice would you have?
Luis Baez:Yeah, that's a great question, I think you have to first consider the safety of the space that you're in, right? If you don't feel psychologically safe in that environment, then no one may respect to embrace who you are and how you show up. But if you're in an environment where you feel safe, but maybe there isn't this open culture, or there isn't this sort of authentic way of showing up, then be the leader that starts that right. Like, you have to be the one that leads that front. And, you know, I think often of my, when I first moved to California, and I started working in tech, my first leader at my first job at LinkedIn, she's now the Chief Revenue Officer at Nextdoor. But I will never forget, it was my first you know, sales huddle with the team. And after the experiences I had working in advertising sales in New York City, I was used to someone sort of drilling me drilling me drilling me, where the numbers, where are the calls, who's next? What's next? I will never forget this, she showed up for this meeting and connected her laptop and projected her screen up on the bigger monitor for all of us to see in the conference room. And it was her calendar. And she says, I know that y'all are busy, I want you to know that I'm also working. I know you're waiting for answers from me. Let me tell you what's going on. And let me tell you when those answers are coming. Right. I think that level of transparency just helped me to breathe a little bit more deeply. And just helped me to just show up with that same level of like, actually, maybe I'm not managing my time. Maybe I show you my calendar. And you helped me figure this out as well. Right? I think that that kind of transparency and that kind of authenticity. And being that leader that admits you don't know it. All right, it will inspire everybody else to lean into the same, right? And then you have to think about being the champion of that culture and shifting the ways that you move things right. You have to be the leader that leads the leaders. That is the experiences that I've certainly had in the companies that I've worked for. I've also been at companies where that work was done for me, right, they were well resourced organizations, the people operations team created environments that were very inclusive in a very safe, psychologically safe environments where I could just be myself, I could just speak up. But I think it also comes with, with tenure, with experience. I think my first time being a leader I I just wanted to do a good job. Right? I didn't want to admit that I was wrong. I didn't always ask for help. And it wasn't until I started doing the opposite of that that I really started to thrive. And and so I encourage, you know, anyone who's just getting started, first time leadership, like allow yourself to learn but also understand that at some point you develop a level of confidence, where you stop worrying about who's right, and you start saying what's right. Right, you start speaking the truth, you start moving needles in the right direction, because you start embracing, you know what it is that you do, or you're supposed to be doing as a leader.
Simon Kardynal:And I'd like to bring up that point that you said, it's okay to admit that we don't know at all, because quite often leaders will put themselves on this mantle, where they explain self-expect that they had to, have to have all the answers without question instantly. And if they don't, then that means you've now failed in that role. That's not the case, there's a reason why leaders have experts on the teams to have those answers for you. Really where the answers come from, it doesn't matter. What matters is that the team succeeds. And that everyone feels safe and secure, to go go forth and offer their insight. I really, really liked the point that you brought up, is understanding that in the beginning, it's going to be challenging, it's tough for all leaders is just the way it is because it's generally new. One of the most common thing that that we've seen in the podcast series, is that more often than not, new leaders are not placed into those roles, because of their leadership expert, their proven leadership expertise is because of their proven technical expertise. So all of a sudden, you're in charge, you're the you're one of the greatest welders in the group. And the listeners have heard this example many times, that doesn't necessarily mean you're the you're the greatest leader of welders in the group, because you've may be the expert at doing it. But now you have to lead it. And that's a tough transition. And so you're bringing up a really great point in there, is that people need to be patient, it's not going to happen overnight, it's going to be hard day after day, after day. But the promise is, is that if the leaders, we put the genuine effort into try and improve to try and be there and be present, each day, we'll get a little less harder, and it'll get a little clearer. And then eventually, one day, we won't even know what happens, you will be confident enough and you'll you'll not feel overwhelmed, and you'll feel ready to expand yourselves. But it's not going to happen overnight. It's not going to happen in a week or a month, it'll probably take years, you have any thoughts on that?
Luis Baez:I think that if you're not someone who's driven by a challenge, and if the idea of improving over time, you know, isn't your vibe, I invite you to step into a different lane. Right? I think that that's just what the the nature of this work is, is as a leader, you are constantly in a position to improve yourself and inspire the people around you to improve upon themselves as well. And so if that feels misaligned, or if it feels laborous, or it feels like, man, that's more than I signed up for, then then step aside, I think that oftentimes, we equate professional and personal success and personal value or whatever, with whatever our titles are, right. Like, you know, I am, you know, a successful person and I am, you know, my self construct is all tied to the fact that I am a director of this company or this organization, then then you're not in the right position, right, this isn't right for you, you're not doing it for the right reasons. And everyone around you will resent you for it. And you will resent yourself for not living a more authentic life. And so, if you're not someone who enjoys hard work and evolution, if you're not open to new ideas, and if you're not inspired by connection, and by you know the potential for the people around you to thrive, you're not in the right seat, my friend, I invite you to do a little bit more self self exploration.
Simon Kardynal:Oh, and followers can smell bullshit from their leaders and miles and miles away, they can see when people are not being authentic. They really can. I couldn't agree with you more. And I've said that I know that said that a few times in this episode, but it's because the points are so valid and poignant. And, and there may be listeners out there thinking well, that's pretty obvious. Well, you're right. A lot of stuff that sits around in leadership theory is obvious. But putting it into practice is another, whole other level of things to take into consideration. Absolutely. I have so many points, but we won't we only get about 45 minutes to talk. So with all of that having been said Luis, I think this feels like a really good time to roll into the lightning round. What do you think?
Luis Baez:Let's do it.
Simon Kardynal:Alright, so, I do promise it is five leadership related questions you're gonna do great. You're ready to go?
Luis Baez:Let's do it.
Simon Kardynal:Question number one. In one minute, describe your perfect leader.
Luis Baez:The perfect leader is someone who has an aptitude for communication, whether they're saying the right things at the right time, or finessing the wrong things in the right ways. Right you have to have that capacity for translating a vision into inspiration, that then translates into action. The other thing is I, for me, the perfect leader is just someone who's human. Like I don't, don't pretend like you're not doing the same things that I'm doing on a Saturday night. I don't pretend like somehow you're better than I am. Because if we both, you know, were to get cut our fingers, we'd both be bleeding red blood. Right? So just be real, be human. And I'll respect you and follow you off any cliff.
Simon Kardynal:Excellent. Question number two, cup half full or cup half empty.
Luis Baez:Say that one more time? Oh, half full or half empty? Yeah, you know, I used to think of, my response to that, especially in sales, interviews and things like, that it's half empty, there's potential for more, what are you talking about? We have to go out there and find more water.
Simon Kardynal:Sales.
Luis Baez:But for me, it's half full. I'm in a different place. mentally, emotionally, professionally. For me, it's half full. And that doesn't mean that there isn't potential for more. I still live with the mindset of abundance. I'm just not. I don't live with that scarcity anymore.
Simon Kardynal:Question number three. If your leadership style was a famous actor, who is it and why?
Luis Baez:Wow. That
Simon Kardynal:This one gets people a lot, there's a reason why I put it number three.
Luis Baez:Love this though. I might borrow this. Okay, so I'm trying to Erin Brockovich, Julia Roberts that film right like that, like that, that character, that entire movie, not characters is based on like a real but the way that she portrayed in the character that she played. That for me is the kind of leader that I want someone who literally doesn't care about people's egos or the law or the policy or how it's written. They that person was so focused on what's right, not who's right. But what's right. That's, that's a quality of leadership that I get down with.
Simon Kardynal:Question number four, what would you like to improve about your leadership style?
Luis Baez:Gosh, I feel like I could be a lot more succinct. When I speak and communicate and write. I think that brevity is a gift when you're a leader for everyone else. I also feel like I could be a better teacher. I am in my role I'm constantly training and coaching other people, but I know I could do better on that front as well.
Simon Kardynal:And the last question, what do you think is your leadership strength?
Luis Baez:My leadership strength is just my realness. Like, I'm not going to sit here and pretend to you like, like, I'm having a marvelous Monday morning, I'm going to tell you that it's been a terrible Monday morning. But then I'm going to tell you what I'm trying to do actively to turn it around, and I'm going to invite you to join me in the process. So let's breathe. Let's do jumping jacks or whatever it is that we need to do to get the energy up. But that's, that's yeah, that's my response.
Simon Kardynal:Yeah, perfect. Well, there is no wrong answer to these things. That's the lightning round and you got through it. No problem at all. How you feeling?
Luis Baez:Wow, unscathed. That wasn't so terrible. I, I thought I'd have to recall I'm always terrible when there there's like a question of like, tell us about your greatest accomplishment or told me about like the weirdest thing you've ever eaten. Things like that require way too much recollection in the moment for me to like, have a good answer.
Simon Kardynal:Yeah, you pull that up. And there's so many bad meals that have been out there so many amazing meals for so many different reasons to narrow that down to one thing, it's tough for sure.
Luis Baez:I was surprised that I was able to like narrow down my famous person for that question. I was like, ah, Erin Brockovich, that one, no one was fun.
Simon Kardynal:That was good. And no one's ever used her as an example. So well done. First time. Excellent. Well, listen, Luis, this, this has been fantastic. And I'm just curious if people want to reach out and get to know more about you. Do you have any way that they can contact you?
Luis Baez:Yeah, you can certainly find me on LinkedIn. That's where I hang out. But if you want to see the latest and greatest, and everything that I'm up to head on over to luisbaez.com.
Simon Kardynal:Thanks so much. And of course, I'll have links to all those, the websites and those different things inside the show notes. So people want to hear more and more from you, they'll have the opportunity to do so. Do you have any final thoughts before we sign off for today?
Luis Baez:Yeah, don't forget to put your oxygen mask on first. I know that we've given you a lot to chew on if you've been listening to us all along. A lot of things to do and a lot of progress to make. But don't lose sight of the fact that you won't succeed if you don't take care of number one.
Simon Kardynal:So true. Thank you so much for your time today. And I hope that you're able to get out and enjoy a fantastic weekend out the West Coast. And we'll see how it goes out here in the East Coast.
Luis Baez:Thanks Simon
Simon Kardynal:Well, that's a wrap from the front. In this episode. We learn that it's important to recognize the connection between the quality of mind and the quality of life. Understanding that connection is so important, and that if we don't pay attention to it, we'll lose ourselves and not be our most authentic selves. We also understood that we need to listen to our team, but really, truly listen to what they're saying. And if we're trying to cut them off, we're not listening to what they're saying. And most importantly, don't trust your brain and redefine your role as the leader. Remember, folks, it's not about you. It's about your team. Thanks for tuning in. And remember, Leadership Without passion limits the depth of your vision.
The Narrator:So, how was the episode? Where you engaged? Did you finish the episode with a piece of leadership ammunition to help you lead from the trenches? Was this episode relevant and helpful? If so, never miss an episode by following us on all of your favorite podcast feeds. While you're there, and if you feel it's merited, please consider leaving an episode review. If the episode missed its mark, we need your help to refine the topic. So reach out and let us know how we can improve the show for you, and all of our listeners. Be sure to join us next week with your host Simon Kardynal for another episode of Trench Leadership, a podcast from the front, a proud supporter of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and Project Enlist. Episodes produced by iglen studios. Music provided by Ashamaluev music