The Transformer Mindset: Kerry Stover on Empowering Teams for Lasting Success 183

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Delve into the value of human-focused leadership in a competitive business world.
• Recognize the advantages of investing time and resources in individual talent development.
• Grasp effective methods for encouraging employee input on vital organizational matters.
• Hone the art of blending genuine care with practical decision-making skills.
• Identify fresh approaches to promoting career advancement through company opportunities.

My special guest is Kerry Stover

Introducing Kerry Stover: an accomplished leader with a passion for nurturing individuals to their fullest potential. With a background in technology, Kerry honed his skills working as a partner at Accenture before pivoting to focus on business consulting. His turning point came when he joined Pariveda Solutions as COO, where Kerry recognized the importance of a human-centric approach to organizational growth. By prioritizing employee development, Kerry has helped countless business leaders create a productive workforce that embodies strong company values.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

• Consider implementing a human-centric approach to leadership and business operations.
• Treat employees as individuals and invest in their personal and professional development.
• Establish clear performance metrics and provide transparent feedback to employees.
• Incorporate community involvement into company culture and values.
• Recognize the full humanity of employees, including their life outside of work.
• Emphasize the importance of vertical development for individuals.
• Stand for a clear purpose as a company and be vocal about it.
• Show empathy and support for employees during difficult times.
• Use frameworks like Maslow’s Hierarchy or Suzanne Cook Reuter’s emotional intelligence model to better understand and support employees.
• Consider implementing personalized development plans for employees at all levels of the company.

Balancing Workforce Expectations
Successful organizations must balance the expectations of their workforce to maintain trust and respect among employees. Promoting a healthy work environment involves offering growth opportunities for deserving employees while acknowledging and addressing underperforming or ill-fitting workers. To prevent the demoralization of top performers, management must foster a culture that rewards merit and encourages candid discussions about career goals and paths, especially if it involves difficult decisions. Kerry Stover emphasized the importance of finding the right balance between being respectful and generous with employees and ensuring timely action for employee growth and development. He advised companies to think about development opportunities that go beyond their immediate organizational boundaries and promote timely advancements in employees’ careers. This balanced approach keeps employees motivated, retaining high performers while promoting overall organizational excellence.

Moving from Expertise to Transformational Mindset
The transition from expertise to a transformational mindset is necessary for effective business leadership. As leaders progress through different stages of development, their focus should shift from honing personal skills toward inspiring and building up team members. Cultivating this transformative mindset ultimately leads to empowered employees and better overall organizational performance. Kerry Stover shared his insights on the various stages of leadership development and the significance of the transformational mindset. He emphasized the importance of nurturing individual team members’ growth and encouraging open communication to foster a trusting, collaborative environment. This approach establishes effective leaders focused on the development and success of their team, rather than solely on personal accomplishments.

Moving from Expertise to Transformational Mindset
The transition from expertise to a transformational mindset is necessary for effective business leadership. As leaders progress through different stages of development, their focus should shift from honing personal skills toward inspiring and building up team members. Cultivating this transformative mindset ultimately leads to empowered employees and better overall organizational performance. Kerry Stover shared his insights on the various stages of leadership development and the significance of the transformational mindset. He emphasized the importance of nurturing individual team members’ growth and encouraging open communication to foster a trusting, collaborative environment. This approach establishes effective leaders focused on the development and success of their team, rather than solely on personal accomplishments.

Guest Bio:

Kerry Stover is the COO at Pariveda Solutions, a leading management consulting firm that specializes in developing extraordinary talent that helps hundreds of businesses, from small startup ventures to Fortune 500 companies, solve complex technology and business problems.

The company has been recognized as one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the US 10 times, a milestone less than 1% of all US-based companies have achieved. Fortune, Glassdoor, and Great Place To Work have also named them as one of the best places to work.

Numbers-wise, Pariveda Solutions employs 700+ people across 11 offices in the US and Canada, and its annual revenues exceed $200M.

Kerry has over three decades of management and technology consulting experience and is a strong advocate of investing in the growth of employees, so they’re well-equipped to lead company transformation and growth initiatives.