EP 2.2 How to navigate change and build consensus with Toronto’s Chief of Staff, Jeff Fielding
Release Date: 02/19/2020
Achieve your Best - the surprising power of living with intention
LeaderLab
In this episode, Mike James Ross, Chief Human Resource Officer of Simons and recent author of “Intention: the surprising psychology of high performers” discusses what intention is, why it is important, and how individuals and organizations can unlock it to achieve high performance. “High performance is about doing subjectively different things.” High performance is not about external manifestations of success like money or fancy titles. It’s about doing things that are hard. High performance looks different for each of us. It’s about pushing yourself beyond preconceived notions...
info_outline
Invest in Human Performance = Elevate Business Performance
LeaderLab
Jodi Baker Calamai, Deloitte Canada’s National Managing Partner of Human Capital shares perspectives on how the future of work is now, the unparalleled opportunities it creates to make work better for humans and humans better at work, and how leaders can embrace this once in a lifetime opportunity to innovate. It’s a unique time for humans around the world to figure out what the next phase of ‘work’ looks like. We are experiencing seismic and simultaneous shifts – AI, multi-generational workforces, geopolitical dynamics, expectations around work – that are requiring us to...
info_outline
Modern people leadership: new role, new focus, new skills.
LeaderLab
In this episode, Maggie Clinton the Founder of Trinity Leadership Coaching, shares how expectations of people leaders have changed and provides practical ideas on how organizations can better prepare and support their people leaders. Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who chose to follow. Leadership is not about the title or position it is about the relationship between two individuals. Leaders are choosing to lead. People are choosing who they want to follow. And both are aspiring to grow. Our environment is changing at an unprecedented...
info_outline
Play at work: so much more than Ping Pong
LeaderLab
In this episode, Ryan Burwell, Director of Training & Facilitation at TwentyOne Toys shares how leaders can use the joy, curiosity, and experimentation of play to create stronger teams and improve business results. Play is a mindset of curiosity, experimentation, learning from failure and embracing diversity – it’s not about ping pong tables and team karaoke events. While social moments are important, play runs deeper. It is about how leaders invite teams to ideate, to try new things, and to think beyond what’s been done before. Leaders have a critical role in unlocking...
info_outline
The People Leader Imperative: Unlocking results through communications
LeaderLab
In an era where the pace of change is rapid and relentless, the need for effective team communications is critical. People leaders will be the primary point of contact, and will need to be prepared and equipped to effectively engage and guide their teams forward. In this episode, we dive into the art of team communications with Lisa Durante, Chief Content Strategist at Jack Communications. She shares how people leaders can build personal connections with their teams to engage in two-way, productive conversations. In our conversation, Lisa shares the following...
info_outline
The People Leader Imperative: Innovating people leadership
LeaderLab
The rapid and frequent changing dynamics affecting teams demands innovation. It also demands people leaders more actively facilitate innovation on their teams. In this episode, we talk with Robyn Bolton, Chief Navigator of innovation consultancy, MileZero, about how people leaders can create the synergies on their teams to innovate focused ideas that will move a business forward, while setting in place the structures to move ideas forward. In our conversation, Robyn shares the following insights: ● Leadership matters more today in part due to...
info_outline
The People Leader Imperative: Re-thinking what it means to lead
LeaderLab
Companies tell us they want people to bring their whole selves to work, but leaders aren’t quite set up to accept, support and lead the whole human beings on their team. To add, leaders aren’t assessed, let alone rewarded, to do so. Yet, the data continues to show that happier, more engaged people perform better, are more productive, are less absent and less likely to leave their company. In this episode, Dan Pontefract, renowned leadership strategist, author and keynote speaker, calls on leaders to create a better mix of work and life factors to support their teams through the...
info_outline
The People Leader Imperative: Enabling people leaders with AI
LeaderLab
AI is powerfully evolving jobs, organizations and industries. Will it redefine what it means to be a leader, too? In this episode of LeaderLab, we are joined by Levi Goertz, Head of Client Solutions at Valence, who helps us unravel how AI may automate and augment leadership with workforce trends and insights to speed up decision-making. But AI is only a tool and the value of human connection, empathy and intentionality will likely remain irreplaceable. In our conversation, Levi shares the following insights: Effective leadership has always been a combination of intuition and data....
info_outline
The People Leader Imperative: Re-inventing people leader programs that win
LeaderLab
Teams work together differently today. Team members also face different challenges and opportunities. This demands a new approach for people leadership and the people and systems that support them. In this episode, Stefani Okamoto, Director of Manager Excellence at ServiceNow, shares her deep passion for people leadership and offers insights on how companies can build a pipeline of amazing people leaders. In our conversation, Stefani shares the following insights: · Care needs to be the heart of people leadership today, especially as we...
info_outline
The People Leader Imperative: Defining people leadership for a modern world
LeaderLab
People leaders have always been a powerful force in organizations. With hybrid workplaces, a new generation in the workforce (Gen Z), rise of AI and digitization, quickly changing geopolitical concerns, and more is people leadership more important than ever? TILTCO Inc. gathered business leaders, consultants and academics for Season 6 of the LeaderLab to capture insights on the role for people leaders, what great looks like and what companies and people leaders need to do to be the people leaders employees need today. In our first episode of this season, we speak to a roundtable of...
info_outlineIn this episode, Jeff Fielding discusses:
- His job trajectory (01:04)
- Four leadership principles and how they’ve guided him through challenging times (02:07)
- How to handle a crisis (04:15)
- How to develop “leadership courage” to have difficult conversations (06:13)
- The value of humour in tense situations (07:20)
- Lessons learned from navigating complex stakeholder relationships (08:16)
- Managing the impact of social media on public discussion (10:13)
- The importance of lifelong learning to remain current and connected (12:50)
- How to prepare for the first month of a new leadership role (15:32)
- How leaders can bring people together and build consensus (19:27)
- How he feels about brussel sprouts (23:08)
Jeff’s advice for leaders:
- Do the right thing and do it well (02:10)
- Care about other people (03:16)
- Be true to yourself and lead by example (06:16)
- Communicate clearly, and with the goal of being understood (09:26)
- Listen and learn before taking action (15:50)
More about Jeff Fielding
Jeff Fielding has been in civil service since 1978. He’s a consensus builder and passionate civil leader known for speaking truth to power. Now the Chief of Staff to the city manager for Toronto, he’s also held the job of city manager for Calgary, Burlington, Ont., and the City of London. Fielding is also an educator who has lectured at Western University’s Ivey School of Business in the MBA and Executive MBA programs, as well as in the University of Winnipeg’s Geography Department.
Fielding was the first recipient of the Award of Excellence in Local Government from Western University. He also received a John Robinson Award for Reducing Violence Against Women and a Calgary Construction Association Partnership Award for Industry Partnership. He’s a board member of the Canadian Council for Private Public Partnership and an Executives-in-Residence at the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey School of Business.
Links to additional resources:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/city-manager-jeff-fielding-1.4974968
“There’s a lot going on in people’s minds today and trying to understand that and gain those insights is absolutely critical as a leader, because you can misstep so easily.”