Deb Minton, senior director of philanthropy and strategic initiatives at Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, shares why inviting others into your vision is critical for success. Deb dives into how self-knowledge and the EOS framework have transformed her personally and made her workplace stronger.
Deb is a go-getter who knows how to harness the power of action. She is proud to use her leadership to help survivors of burn injuries get the emotional and social support they need. She often relies on the lessons she learned from good leaders earlier in her career for guidance on her own leadership path.
Deb has found that the most effective leaders:
- Give encouragement rather than commands
- Teach by example
- Possess an abundance of optimism
- Commit to finding solutions to problems
- Inspire their teams
Deb says that the leader who made the most impact on her did so by refusing to micromanage her. This leader invited people into his vision and excelled at getting to know others. Leaders can implement this approach by asking the right questions — questions that get to the core of the person or situation in front of them.
Before EOS
Working at Phoenix has always been fulfilling for Deb, but she says it hasn’t always been easy. When she first joined the company, many of its decisions were made on a consensus-basis, which prolonged the decision-making process. She knew the company needed to scale, but it was stuck. Meetings seemed as unproductive as not meeting at all.
Deb says they knew they needed an operating framework, and so they began working with EOS. As a result, their pain points as a business began disappearing.
[10:03] “I can’t really tell you how much we appreciate our journey into . . . really becoming an EOS organization. It has been a game changer for me personally as well as the organization.”
Deb cites clear alignment across the company’s core values, marketing, niche and expertise as the biggest changes EOS has helped Phoenix achieve. When everyone is on the same page about who the company is, where it’s going and what each person’s role is, simplicity replaces complexity in the workplace. It also allows for more straightforward communication.
[12:59] “We can, and do, actively call each other out because we are learning every day.”
The EOS framework has facilitated many constructive conversations for Deb and her leadership team, prompting them to recognize they had to change the way the company made decisions.
It is important to listen to others and to understand where they are coming from — but it is equally important for leaders to know that they must make decisions without consensus.
Leading Well Within EOS
Deb finds self-knowledge is invaluable for sound leadership. She believes that if you know who you are, you will be able to do better in several areas, including:
- Discerning what the company needs.
- Making tough decisions and having difficult conversations.
[26:25] “The biggest leap forward [with EOS] has been the personal growth and the character growth — and the ability to sit back and provide better leadership because I’m providing better guidance for myself.”
Personal development is key to refining your leadership. With a good business structure, coaching, and a focus on the right things, your leadership can reach its highest potential.
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