TSLP Season 4- Hidden Metrics

🎙️ Hidden Metrics | Transformation Station Leadership Podcast with Nora Bouchard
What if the factors having the greatest impact on your leadership aren't showing up on your performance dashboard?

In this episode of the Transformation Station Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Nora Bouchard to explore the hidden metrics that often determine leadership success: trust, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, communication, resilience, and alignment.

If you're a leader looking to strengthen your impact beyond the numbers, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about Nora:
Website: https://hidden-metrics.com
YouTube:    / @norabouchard5262 
LInkedIn:   / mnorabouchard 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Not everything that matters in leadership shows up on a dashboard. Well, today on Transformation Station, we're uncovering the hidden metrics that quietly determine whether leaders and their teams truly succeed or whether they struggle. Come on, let's get into it. I'm your host, Adrian Benton, and today's conversation focuses on something many leaders overlook. That's right, we're talking about the hidden metrics, the hidden metrics that shape performance, that shape influence, and long-term success. I'm super excited to introduce our guest to you today. She is going to bring deep insights into how these hidden metrics impact our leadership at every level. But before I bring her on, I want to remind you of just two things. Number one, I want to remind you every Monday and every Tuesday, Transformation Station Leadership Podcast, we meet as a community. So don't miss one episode. We're in season three. That means if you have missed any episode of season one or any episode of season two, I need you to go back. You can go back on YouTube and Facebook and LinkedIn and all the podcast platforms because the rich gems are being given twice a week. And then I want to remind you that our next conference is coming up. You know, in January, we had lead her shift part one. It was amazing. Over 400 of you registered for this conference. Well, guess what? Part two is coming. Lead her shift adjustment. And what we're talking about is, you know, mistakes are going to happen, challenges are going to come. When these mistakes and challenges come, that's not a sign that we should quit and give up. It's a sign that maybe we just need to adjust. And so it's going to be amazing. These are our three guest strategists that will join us. March 13, registration opened. So if you have not registered yet, I need you to go ahead and go to mobilizingwithimpact.com and register today. And oh, by the way, leader, don't come by yourself. Make sure that you invite another woman leader who is in your network. You there. All right. Well, listen, it's time for us to meet our guests today. I want to tell you a little bit about Nora. Nora is a successful executive and leadership coach and an appealing author and engaging speaker. She is inspired by her clients to desire to grow. And Nora provides practical insights and intuitive questions to move them forward toward the goals that really matter. And today, it is my absolute honor to welcome to Transformation Station. Nora, welcome. We're so glad to have you today.

SPEAKER_02 3:16

Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be here.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Absolutely. Well, listen, hidden metrics. So as I was preparing for this particular um episode, I was thinking to myself that many times leadership is influenced by more than what meets the eye. There are things beneath unseen factors, I like to call them, right? Like clarity, like confidence, like trust, like alignment that all kind of work together to shape how we perform and how we grow. So I want to start off by asking you this question. When leaders get promoted, what are the most common hidden metrics or unspoken expectations they're suddenly evaluated on, even if no one says them out loud?

unknown 4:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

Yeah. And so many of my leaders struggle with this. They just don't recognize that more than your title has changed. How people relate to you has shifted as well. With that title, they start seeing you differently than they've ever seen you before. So one of the first things is to understand that because they typically say, Oh, I haven't changed. I'm the same old person that you know everybody loved. Things have changed. You really need to recognize that first time. So some of the things have changed is that your contribution is not so obvious anymore. Especially if you're moving from doing to leading. Because before you may have delivered something that was tangible. Now what you're delivering isn't as tangible, isn't as clear. It could be it could be now expectations about how you contribute in meetings. A lot of my clients complain about how they're now in back-to-back meetings. They never have time to do the work. No, the meetings are the work now. That is one of the new expectations. So it's part of that, you need to start building new relationships. Somebody gets like asked as well. Nobody's really talking about it. And I think one of the key relationships that people have to really understand and recognize that changes is your relationship with yourself.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 5:58

It is the most important relationship. Even before your relationship with your supervisor, even the most important relationship. You have to begin to see yourself differently.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 6:12

And when you do that, others start seeing you differently as well.

SPEAKER_00 6:17

Yeah, I love that. Here at Transformation Station, we love to give our listeners and viewers an opportunity to stop and assess. And Nora just gave us uh a whole masterclass in the first question. And I'm inviting everybody right now to stop and to assess. I need you to stop and really reflect on what Nora just shared with us. We're talking about the hidden metrics when you get promoted, right? And one thing Nora said is people start to see you differently. I want you to stop and think for a moment. As you have matriculated in your career fields, how, what are some of the hidden metrics that have impacted or are or is impacting you right now? One that I thought about, Nora, was this one here: judgment under pressure. Leaders are quietly evaluated on how they respond when things go wrong, not when everything is easy. I've seen that too. And I've actually even judged some leaders too on that myself. What do you what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_02 7:14

Well, you know, this has been going around quite a bit lately that um nobody wants to be judged based on their worst day. We want to be judged on the good things that we do, the way we are when we're our best self. That is what is really important. And so I just encourage people to remember that you wouldn't like it yourself. A little bit of grace goes a long way, feels good, it keeps the grease moving in an organization. Is that even a metaphor? No, it keeps the wheels turning in an organization, just a little bit of grace can help when things are not going well. But I think that judgment under pressure is really an important point because as you move up in an organization, the pressure does increase. And you don't necessarily have people running interference for you like you did when you were at the lower levels, and now you're expected to run interference for other people. So really keeping a sense of perspective about what's really happening can serve you in the long run quite a bit.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

I love that. I love that. And leaders, we have a great best practice for you. Pause before responding in high pressure moments to ensure your response builds clarity and confidence. You know, Nora, when I um recently promoted and moved up, I had someone who said to me, you don't have to answer every email right away. Especially if it's an email where like a tough decision has to be made or you're getting, you know, the email is communicating frustration on the part of the other. You know, that there's a temptation to let me answer right away and match. And they said, no, no. They said, stop, pause. Give yourself an opportunity to stop and think about what is true, what is real, and what is it that I really need to communicate in this moment. And that has been so helpful for me as a leader, incredibly helpful.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

You know what I would add to that is the whole idea of how contagious emotions are, even through email. So that if you do get a really frustrated email, this it's like someone is loading their fear and frustration onto you. That is contagious. You don't want to shoot it back at them. No, I love the idea of the pause, really getting a sense of what's really happening, because we need to, as leaders especially, control that tone, not just in how we interact with others, but the tone of the team, the tone of our interactions with each other on a on a larger, wider basis.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

Absolutely. So then, Nora, what do all leaders, regardless of their level, need to let go of? What do they need to embrace?

SPEAKER_02 10:24

Well, you know, this is funny because um I do work at very high levels in organizations. So in the C suite and uh VP and above, I also enjoy working with people who are emerging leaders as well. But even in the higher levels, people still don't protect their calendars. They they still say yes to everything, they they still fill their calendars with meetings, they set no time aside for themselves to think, to really ponder, to imagine what could be. So that is one of the things that I see happening all the time. The temptation is to say yes to every meeting that comes down the pike, and really it's not the best use of your time. So slow it down, be judicious, and make sure you protect time for yourself. That's one of the key ones, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

I love that. So, so how do you create a hidden metric? What is the equation that you talk about? Teach us.

SPEAKER_02 11:41

Well, so when I work with my clients, I try to find what's meaningful for them, what really matters, because it is what drives us, it's what keeps us at work, it's what makes us feel as though we're contributing in a way that comes from our soul, that is uniquely us. So making sure that we're really clear about what is meaningful is the first step. Then we move into what is the vision that that meaning brings? How can we have more of that, not less of it? What is the vision that you have for your own leadership? And a lot of leaders don't spend any time thinking about what kind of leader they want to be. So once we spend some time examining leadership and what your leadership philosophy is, we identify what your values are and what your strengths are. It's almost as if the vision is your endpoint. You know, this is where I'm headed, right? The values become your guideposts along the way. Because we know when we deviate from our values, it feels very uncomfortable, like shoes are on the wrong feet. You know, it's not right for us. It seems unnatural, and we are not happy with ourselves when we deviate from our value system, and then using our strengths, the strengths like the fuel, because when we're operating from a place of strength, we're energized and engaged and we're excited about what we're doing, and it keeps us moving forward.

SPEAKER_01 13:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

So if you think meaning plus vision plus values plus strength, that's my equation.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Let's say that again meaning plus vision, vision plus values plus strengths, plus values plus strengths. Okay, so leaders, we are getting a formula right now, and I'm going to invite you to write this down. I'm going to invite you to resin um to reflect on it as well. Meaning plus vision plus values plus strengths. Hmm. How would this be beneficial to you if you were to take a hold of this? Well, at the end of this episode, you will get an opportunity to find out how to keep in touch with Nora to ask questions to tap into the resources. But right now, I just want you to reflect on meaning plus vision plus values plus strength. I want you to reflect on this particular formula. So let's let's can we go back to the strength part, right? How can we use our strength to achieve a more meaningful career? I mean, there are some people that are listening and watching right now, Nora, and they are not enjoying their career. And I know enjoy is kind of a loose word, but they're they're not finding finding purpose or value or meaning, right? How can they use their strengths to achieve a more meaningful career?

SPEAKER_02 14:54

Well, I think the very first thing is to really define what those strengths are. And there are a number of strengths instruments out there, a number of strengths tools that you can use. I use something called the strengths profile, but there are others that are out there, and they can really give you some really good insight into what are your strengths. The thing with strengths is that we want to make sure we're using them in the right amounts. Because sometimes even if we overdo our strengths, that becomes really problematic. And and it becomes actually a bit of a um, it might even become a weakness because either you get really tired of just doing that and no longer serves you or nurtures you, or um it becomes something we call a learned behavior, something that you do well, but you're not energized by.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

Ask these questions, Nora invited us to raise our awareness so that we can actually see how our strengths can be utilized right now, as well as being able to seek balance, right? Allowing our strengths to not just be good for us, but allowing our strengths to also impact, inspire, have value for those in our community, those that we serve, those that we work with. So, Nora, I want to ask you this question. What if I have an idea for an audacious goal? Should I share that with my boss or should I keep it quiet?

SPEAKER_02 18:30

So the the subtitle for the book is called The Coach's Secret to Success That Really Matters. And it's a secret because sometimes we don't want to share these goals for a number of different reasons. And one of them is sometimes it's pretty big, it's an audacious, big goal. And you know, generally what I find is it's smarter to keep those particular ideas under wraps until you feel the idea has been really nurtured, until you really feel as though it's ready to be out in the world. Because what happens is that people will naturally criticize or bring you down or dismiss the idea or tell you it's never gonna work, and that is not the kind of energy you want to have when you are trying to birth something audacious. You want to make sure that that gestation period is solid before you bring that idea out into the world. Now, there are some people who have such tight relationships with their supervisors or bosses that they feel comfortable talking to them about it. And if that's the case, then I think that's great. I would still encourage those people to keep it kind of quiet between the two of them. Hopefully, you can really trust the other person to keep it quiet. Uh, sometimes having someone in your corner can really help you keep the excitement going, even when you're a little maybe discouraged on the journey. But for the most part, keep it quiet.

SPEAKER_00 20:28

I love it. Keep quiet until it's time. So, what I hear you saying is share it when it aligns with the mission. Leaders are most receptive to ambitious ideas when they clearly support the organization's priorities. So, like Nora's saying, until it's time, keep it quiet. Don't run around and tell everybody about this great idea, hoping that somebody just keep it quiet, make sure it aligns, right? Find the one ally, and then at the right time go ahead and present it.

SPEAKER_02 20:58

Do you have time for real quick stories? Absolutely. So I had a client who she was her top company salesperson. Her business development skills were second to none. She wanted to do more in her organization, and she had an audacious idea. She did run it by her boss, and he said, no, no, he said, I want you focused only, only on selling. Yeah, we didn't pay attention to that. So together we found a way for her to build her audacious idea and to make it a reality. And what was audacious for her was to begin to train at least two other younger business development people every quarter. And she set aside four hours a week to sit down with these people, get them up to speed, talk to them about best practices, and help them succeed. And what it

SPEAKER_00 22:00

ended up happening is those new business development people their sales elevated her step sales elevated staying the same at a minimum but also elevated a bit because she was so excited about what she was doing six months later she told her boss what was going on and he was dumbstruck but thrilled because now he had a real team of people working together to make sales happen not just one person I love that perfect illustration and example to everyone that's listening and watching right now what are your examples how have you seen this working in various leadership environments so Nora as we turn the corner on this great conversation I feel like this is a masterclass like there's so many gyms that are coming out right now I want to ask you this question um talk to us what best practice would you give to a leader to someone that is stepping into a new role to ensure they meet the expectations that are not written in the job description yeah I think first of all going back to that idea about your relationship with yourself first ask yourself what does it mean to me to be a leader in this role what is it I'm contributing what are the values that I hold and how do I want to build that into my leadership and then I think I think it's becoming aware that things have changed accepting that and recognizing this is this is life.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

This this nothing can stay the same even how you interact with other people even if you have friends at lower levels those relationships are going to have to shift too so being aware and and being deliberate about your leadership I think are two key steps that everyone has to take no matter what level whether it's your first or your fifth promotion.

SPEAKER_00 24:19

I love it be aware be deliberate be intentional. Nora thank you so much I I can honestly say that you have added value to our community with this conversation and I know that there are leaders that want to continue engaging with your resources that most likely have questions they would like to ask you. What's the best way for us to continue to engage with you?

SPEAKER_02 24:44

Well definitely go to the website hidden dashmetrics dot com and there you can learn more about the book.

SPEAKER_00 24:51

I also have uh a business website which is very simple um mnorabouchard.com and you can learn about me and the other services I provide a little bit of my history is there on uh that webpage as well so I love it I love it all right so to our listeners and viewers those of you who can see the screen you see the link there in the description box are all the ways that you can engage with Nora please do so and I want to invite you as we always do reach out to Nora let her know that you have seen let her know that you have heard this particular episode let her know what resonated with you and you know we like to grow. So tap into the resources buy the book and whatever the resources she has available go ahead and engage because the community that grows together learns together learns together grows together and we're all about learning and growing Nora thank you so much it has been an absolute joy to have you with us today here on Transformation Station. Thank you Adrienne it's been wonderful thank you so much absolutely all right well listen today's episode reminds us that the most important aspects of leadership are not always measured but they are always felt and if this conversation encouraged you to think differently about leadership and performance I want to invite you right now to take one intentional step this week to strengthen trust, clarity or alignment with you and your team and be sure to subscribe to Transformation Station Leadership Podcast. Share this episode with your team use it for a staff discussion and also share it with one other leader that you know who is committed to growing with intention. So until next time remember the strongest leaders don't just measure results they strengthen the metrics the hidden metrics that make the results possible