Meet the Expert: Dr. Michele D’Amico CPC, CELC

Performance Coach

Dr. Michele D’Amico is an executive coach for entrepreneurs and business executives and the Founder of Vetta, an executive coaching firm in Los Angeles. Of the three skills she believes are essential for an effective leader to possess, she emphasizes the value of resilience. She claims that in our complex, fast-paced and changing environments, a resilient leader and team are likelier to thrive in a collaborative and cohesive environment which in turn lends itself to more creative problem-solving. We spoke with Michele to learn how leaders can increase their own resilience as well as that of their teams, particularly with the challenges of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter.

Given the unprecedented events of 2020, in your opinion, what are the top three things that keep business leaders up at night?

Uncertainty is definitely one of them although leaders are used to it, that’s part of the job. Yet, we haven’t quite got a handle on the constant changes with COVID, and now Black Lives Matter is also presenting a new set of challenges. Leaders are dealing with how to respond, assessing the impact on their business, and how their employees will be affected. A lot of uncertainty.

Secondly, it’s keeping the team motivated and engaged while working remotely. People are juggling more responsibilities such as homeschooling their children. Introverts seem to be faring better working at home while their extrovert counterparts need more camaraderie and connection. Worry about job security affects everyone’s motivation and performance.

And lastly, there is concern about keeping employees safe, addressing their anxiety when they come back to work. How is that going to look? Maybe some members will be in the offices while others continue working at home. HR people are definitely scrambling to figure this out.

What kind of leadership qualities and skills are needed to lead through times of uncertainty?

Actually, any good leader is not thrown by uncertainty, rather they thrive in it. Top skills would be flexibility, adaptability, resilience—staying calm in the face of all these changes. Most importantly, an effective leader needs to be decisive.

If a leader doesn’t thrive in uncertainty, how can these qualities and skills be learned?

Right now, many leaders are learning through “trial by fire.” Beyond that, leaders need to adopt a growth mindset. If they adopt a win or learn attitude, it helps develop resilience which in turn opens up possibilities for both the leader and the team. Studies show the importance of pushing beyond the limits into something that is difficult or uncomfortable. By sticking with it, the brain creates new connections which help develop more resilience going forward. Every leader should focus on advancing resilience, otherwise it’s difficult to get around those brick walls. Adopting a growth mindset and a win or learn attitude can positively help them hone those skills.

How can business leaders strategize among uncertain times?

They have to stay flexible, make sure employees are well taken care of. Never let them see you sweat. If you’re anxious and fearful, the employees will respond in kind. Once the brain’s amygdala (where fear emotions live) kicks in, it’s difficult to engage the executive functioning part of the brain. It’s essential to take care of the team, engage them, create a sense of connectedness and shared sense of purpose.

Most importantly, lead your team—don’t manage them. Be as transparent and as up front as possible without overcommunicating. It helps to keep the fear and anxiety at bay. Let team know their safety is valued above company profits. Use their collective voice and intelligence to get them involved in finding solutions to these challenges.

What opportunities does uncertainty present? Any examples?

There’s great opportunity to using uncertainty for finding new and innovative ways to do business and solve problems—not only at the organizational level, but with the individual. Instead of looking at uncertainty as something to eliminate, see it as an opportunity.

Companies are figuring out how to work with these challenges. Examples include: (1) Hosting all-day virtual water coolers by opening up the Zoom room for people to stop in, say hello and keep connected, (2) Under Armour launched a face mask specifically for exercising (3) a Seattle-based technology and design firm called TEAQUE invented an air curtain to protect airplane passengers when they’re flying, and (5) Defence Institute of Technology (DIAT) designed biodegradable cotton masks using herbal extract.

In addition to your menu of services, please introduce your new service, storytelling.

Yes, it’s called Tell Your Story via Zoom. Stories create culture and develop camaraderie. Certainly in this Black Lives Matter culture, I think it’s important for people in the workplace to get to know each other on a more personal and authentic level. In these times of Covid and Black Lives Matter, companies are trying to figure out how to keep people safe, engaged and connected. As human beings, we are built to tell our stories. We’ve created a format for that to safely happen knowing that if we can help people to tell their stories more personally, a stronger culture is created. A stronger culture equals better collaboration which in turn equates to more innovation and higher success rates.

Knowing their stories creates cohesion, collaboration, and communication that  strengthen working relationships.  People get more done, work better together as a result. They take more risks because they feel safe. That’s what you want in business. Innovation is born because of risk takers. Also, teams become more resilient. With so much division in other aspects of life, team cohesion is powerful.

Additionally, it’s great for leaders. If the leader is seen as authentic and possibly a bit vulnerable, the leader is no longer untouchable. When the team gets to know the leader better, they work better for the leader. Employee “buy in” is a whole lot easier—an essential for effective performance.

Anything else you’d like to add?

To reiterate that leaders need to embrace this time of uncertainty. They need to lead, not manage. They need to be decisive yet flexible. Then, let your team do their thing.