"Businesses should focus on their people"
There are hundreds of books, training courses and online material that teach us how to be a “leader”. Most of them are good and teach the right things, but Tom Lawrence has seen very few that teach us how to influence our people, or take our personal growth seriously, or even lead if you’re not in a “leadership position”.
He wants to change that by providing articles, materials and resources to people who are interested in leading and inspiring others.
Tom wants to help people who are not in a leadership position but are aspiring to become a leader, current managers who want to take the next step and become highly effective leader, and to help senior leaders enhance their leadership skills.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Tom Lawrence: The Highly Effective Leader Mantra: Learn to Lead, Grow, Increase your Influence
The Highly Effective Leader Why: To develop current leaders and future leaders into highly effective leaders so that, they can develop current leaders and future leaders into highly effective leaders.
The Highly Effective Leader Vision & Just Cause: I can see a world in which our leaders create environments that focusses on people and helps them to learn to lead, grow, and increase their influence for the good of others.
I have vowed to make it my life’s work to help you become successful. I hope the information I provide on this website goes some way towards helping you achieve all you ever wanted from your career as a highly effective leader.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Tom Lawrence: I have learned that business and people need to care about each other more. Especially the leaders of our organisations and what they focus on. Most leaders focus on profit, processes, procedures, business growth, targets etc. However, if they focus on helping and developing their people, then all of those things will take care of themselves. They will become a by-product of us helping to develop our people to become their best selves.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Tom Lawrence: Businesses should focus on their people. Whether that be the people who work within their business, their customers or beyond. We are in a time in 2022 when we are seeing a lot of bad things happening in the world, and we need to care for each other a lot more.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Tom Lawrence: The pandemic has changed my industry by realising that we don’t always have to be in the office or on site to be productive every day. I have adapted by working from home, but also checking in with my people and making sure they’re OK. Showing your people that you care is far more powerful than telling them.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Tom Lawrence: I wish I knew some of the people that I have connected with on LinkedIn and beyond before the pandemic, as we have relied upon each other and shared our knowledge to help others. The advice they gave me was to open up your heart and mind and keep helping other people. This is also what I intend to keep improving in 2022, sharing my knowledge online through LinkedIn, website, YouTube and also through talking to people. The more I can do to help others in the areas of Leadership, Personal Growth and Influence, the better.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Tom Lawrence: My expectations for 2022 is that the online business world will grow, grow and grow some more. I am part of it and I have so many ideas for my own business in 2022 on how I can grow, but also how I can help others grow too. I would like to say though that online meetings and online one to ones are excellent, but I don’t want them to wipe out face to face meetings. We need to keep growing human interaction too.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Tom Lawrence: I spend about 8 hours a day. But, I do have breaks during the day and I know how important it is to break the day up.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Tom Lawrence: When it comes to getting points across then I love to use example stories from my past as I believe it inspires others. Leading by example is the most important leadership principle for me. Talking the talk is good but walking the walk is even better.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Tom Lawrence: The amount of overwhelm from the amount of information that online businesses come across. When I first started I almost gave up because I was being told by so many people that I needed to do all different social media, videos, courses etc. I took a step back and went down one avenue on LinkedIn which I am growing.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Tom Lawrence: I am interested in growing future leaders. I am especially interested in helping HR leaders identify and develop their future leaders through my books, online courses and eventually Leadership talent coaching.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Tom Lawrence: Leaders need to show their people that they care. The way to show your people that you care is first by listening to understand, not listen to reply. When leaders listen to understand, our people feel heard. When our people feel heard, they feel cared for. When our people feel cared for, trust builds between both. When trust builds, we can increase our influence. When we increase our influence, we can lead in the right way.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Tom Lawrence: A business superpower would be the ability to help our people to develop into their best selves so that they are good enough to leave. But treat them well enough so that they don’t want to leave.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Tom Lawrence: My Why:
To develop current leaders and future leaders into highly effective leaders so that, they can develop current leaders and future leaders into highly effective leaders.
My Vision & Just Cause:
I can see a world in which our leaders create environments that focusses on people and helps them to learn to lead, grow, and increase their influence for the good of others.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Tom Lawrence for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Tom Lawrence or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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