Creating the Conditions for People to Shine

Leading people through growth is rewarding. Leading them through adversity and change reveals the strength of the team culture.

My team was navigating a challenging quarter, economic uncertainty, shifting priorities, and several significant launches scheduled for the same time. The team needed to remain focused and productive, but it also needed:

• Clear and honest communication

• Support adapted to different personalities and working styles

• A safe place to raise questions and concerns

• Regular visibility into our goals and performance

• Opportunities to reconnect as people

• Meaningful recognition

The opportunity was to create the conditions for both people and performance to thrive, strengthening trust and morale without lowering expectations.

The strategy

I designed my leadership approach around four practical commitments:

Know them. Support them. Connect them. Focus them.

Each commitment served a distinct purpose:

• I understood each person and adapted my leadership to what helped them succeed.

• I created a dependable communication rhythm and made myself accessible.

• I designed meaningful experiences that strengthened trust and belonging.

• I connected the team’s work to business goals and a larger sense of purpose.

Together, these practices created a people-first environment where team members could be candid, contribute ideas, and do excellent work.

Know them: leading the individual

I do not believe one leadership style works for every person or situation.

I make a deliberate effort to understand each team member’s personality, ambitions, motivations, communication preferences, and definition of success.

Some people prefer the headline and the autonomy to determine what comes next. Others feel better equipped when they receive more context and have time to ask questions. Some process information privately, while others think best by talking things through.

I adjust how I communicate, coach, delegate, and provide feedback accordingly.

What remains constant is my transparency and respect. If I do not know an answer, I say so and endeavour to find it. I share as much information as I can, make room for difficult questions, and intentionally share some of my own vulnerability.

I do not expect perfection. I expect dedication, accountability, sound judgement, and pride in our work.

Most importantly, I want team members to know that I have their backs. My role is not to take credit for their success. It is to help make that success possible.

Support them: creating a dependable rhythm

Especially for a remote team, connection cannot be left to chance.

Weekly team meetings became an anchor for keeping everyone informed, aligned, and connected. I prepared a short agenda and invited team members to add topics of their own.

Meetings covered business updates, financial performance, Marketing priorities, emerging challenges, and knowledge-sharing. I occasionally invited colleagues and leaders to provide training, share information, or strengthen cross-functional inclusion. I also made a point to recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements.

Presentation materials were shared afterward. When someone could not attend, I recorded the meeting when appropriate. At other times, I deliberately left sessions unrecorded so people could speak candidly.

Weekly or biweekly one-on-ones gave each person dedicated time to discuss their work, development, and concerns. I also made myself available for ad hoc conversations rather than expecting people to wait when something important arose. After all, marketers must be experts at pivoting and readjusting, right!

The rhythm was structured but flexible, giving the team dependable access to information, to one another, and to me.

Connect them: Games, Gripes, and Grub

After a challenging quarter, I wanted to restore some of the team’s energy while preparing for a demanding period ahead.

I hosted an in-person Team Summit for my direct reports, nicknamed “Games, Gripes, and Grub.”

Trivia games and team activities got everyone participating and laughing. The “gripes” gave people a safe place to talk honestly about pressure and continual change. We moved beyond airing frustrations and generated potential solutions together.

Lunch was ordered from a small-business customer. Each team member also received hand-selected gifts from Canadian entrepreneurs and small businesses, a meaningful gesture during a difficult period for the Canadian economy.

The final segment focused on the priorities ahead, including major launches for a new brand and website.

The summit combined appreciation, honesty, problem-solving, and business focus. Feedback was glowing, with team members saying they felt uniquely seen, valued, and appreciated.

Focus them: connecting work to the bigger picture

People are more engaged when they understand not only what they are being asked to do, but why it matters.

As we prepared for the rebrand, I presented two memorable stories about companies that had created significant impact through their brands. The stories helped the team see the rebrand as more than a collection of assets and understand what could be possible when strategy, creativity, and customer experience worked together.

I also hosted a hybrid Canada Marketing Team Summit that brought together colleagues from Demand, Field, Events, Digital, and BDR Nation. Each group shared its top successes, notable challenges, and high-level plans for the coming fiscal year. The discussion surfaced opportunities to collaborate, reuse tools, and share resources more effectively while helping everyone see how their work connected to the broader strategy.

To capture the personality of our year, I also created a custom Spotify playlist featuring Canadian webinar introduction songs, team members’ annual theme songs, and other meaningful selections. It became a lasting reflection of the culture we had built together.