Advice on the Path to Leadership from the Fellows

On December 10th, SMPS Seattle is hosting a Fellows Forum different than any other - we've invited four well-known and highly respected firm leaders to participate in our Forum as special guests. Moderated by Fellow Bill Strong, Seattle's four remaining Fellows will interview the firm leaders and open the floor to your questions to get to the heart of this Forum's main focus: What was your path to leadership and advice for aspiring leaders?

Our four special guests are: Brian Phair, CEO of PCS Structural Soluctions; Eric Overton, Vice President, Buildings, STANTEC; Kay Kornovich, Managing Director, Perkins + Will Seattle; and Scott Redman, President, Sellen Construction.

In anticipation of this highly engaging event, we've decided to kick things off by asking similar questions of our Fellows.

What was the one thing you did to create your path to the C-Suite?

Carla Thompson, FSMPS, CPSM, NAC|Architecture: Blaze your own path to create opportunities to advance to the top of your position, unrelated to job position titles. Go the extra mile and look for chances to step up and become indispensible, even if it means sacrificing some of your personal time.

Bill Strong, FSMPS, CPSM, Bill Strong Consulting: Taking on more than just marketing in our firm - seeing a gap that I thought my skills could fill and then raising my hand and taking it on (yes, lots of extra hours...but worth it).

Karleen Belmont, FSMPS, PACE Engineers: Always think like and act like an owner, even if you aren't one yet.

Ted Sive, FSMPS, Ted Sive Consulting: Make marketing relevant and understandable to the "real" workers in the firm.

Vicky Cooper, AIA, FSMPS, Cooper Architects: Got involved 110% in the firm.

How did you make use of the firm leaders in your firm to help you rise to a leadership position?

Carla: It's what you know and who you know. Learn as much as you can from other operational leaders to really learn how your firm works, even if it's on your own time. And in return, educate them about what you do and how you contribute to the firm's success.

Bill: Sharing national statistics compare to our firm's ROI along with methods to improve - allowed them to 'ask me into the executive meetings' to share with the other leaders.

Karleen: I got to know the strengths of each of them and then figured out my 'gaps' and asked them for mentoring to fill my gaps.

Ted: Figured out how to birng marketing skills to the broader work of the firm, volunteering for non-marketing initiatives. 

Vicky: Made sure they knew who I was and why I was there, and that I wanted to be an integral part of the success of the firm. 

What things did you learn from aspiring leaders in your firm to help you on your path to leadership?

Carla: Be a problem solver. Come to the table with good ideas that are well thought out and don't worry if someone else takes the credit (but always give credit where it's due!).

Bill: Their passion for what they do and how they change lives daily in their work - I brought that same passion for my area of expertise and it was noticed.

Karleen: Never take people to task in public, admit when you're wrong and fix it, be honorable, and never forget client service is a priority.

Ted: Don't fear politics.

Vicky: Be open to everyone's ideas. If there is a challenge to solve, there can't be a WRONG answer in the brainstorming (and sharing ideas) process.

What are you doing to help others in their career development?

Carla: I make sure the marketing staff has career paths just like technical staff and I support active participation in SMPS - it's a great training ground for leaderhsip skills. For the technical staff, I regularly present Marketing 101 mini-seminars at staff meetings. And I believe our Fellows Forums are influencing and inspiring the next generation of great marketers.

Bill: The Fellows Forums, founder of our successful Seattle Chapter Roundtables 18 years ago, speaking at any opportunity, and anxiously meeting & greeting our new chapter members.

Karleen: Fellows Forums, informal montly woman's group, one-on-one meetings with marketers and technical people, and training young engineers on marketing and BD.

Ted: Mentoring smart marketers.

Vicky: Providing on-going mentorship through informal meetings, lunch and learns on marketing, and most important, my door is always open.

Sign up today for the December 10th Fellows Forum. It's sure to be one of our best events of the year - you won't want to miss it!