Servant leadership: how to lead with the heart | Liz Theophille | TEDxSaclay

What should be the profile of today's leader in such an increasingly competitive context? How should a leader behave while facing many challenges while still required to get performance results? These challenges are budget cuts, more competitive markets locally and internationally, more demanding customers and a market that demands greater quality and agility in our products and services. Adding to that, employees may may find it difficult to adapt to these changes which are taking place faster and faster.

Liz Theophille, a senior IT leader with multicultural international experience in many large corporations, will tell us more about how she applies leading with the heart and servant leadership in her daily work.

Liz joined Novartis in November 2016 and is currently the chief technology officer and digital IT lead, responsible for technology strategy, enterprise architecture, digital technology enabling platforms, advanced analytics and robotic and cognitive automation centers of excellence.

In addition to her current role as CTO&D she is leading a business transformation program across Novartis to drive innovation, business growth and value.

Elizabeth has spent many years of her career working abroad, in New York,
France and Germany, and she now lives and works in Switzerland.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Leadership.

Who here considers themselves a leader?

Maybe you're a parent,
or you might be a business owner,

or what about an older sibling?

Or maybe you just want
to go around the world,

telling people how you're going
to solve all the problems.

But what kind of leader?

Is it someone that really
leads with power?

Maybe it's hierarchy?

Maybe it's fear.

Or are you a leader that is open-minded
and leads with the heart?

Today, I'm going to share with you

what it's like being a leader
that leads with the heart.

Many years ago,

I started a new role in a new company.

And one of my first assignments
was to lead an investigation

for a transformation program
that had gone extremely badly.

The client was very upset
with how the company was performing,

and in most cases,
we had lost trust with the client.

When I met with the team
that were leading the program,

I noticed that they had
a fear of speaking up

and of talking about
many of their mistakes,

and they spent most of their time
blaming each other.

Now, when I talked to the boss,

he said I really didn't understand
what was going on

and the team were not sharing with me
what was happening.

Now, I was very surprised by his reaction.

And when I met with the client,

the client said, "I don't want
to meet with him anymore."

Now, the team,

when they continued to speak with me,

I noticed that they had
a fear of failure and speaking up.

And I also noticed

that they really thought
that the boss was not present,

didn't attend steering meetings,

and more importantly,
didn't really care what was going on.

When I handed in the report
when I completed the investigation,

the first thing my boss said:

"Liz, who's responsible for this,
and who should I blame?

Who should I fire?"

Now, I was very surprised
by that question,

and I asked him,

"What do you think your part was
in this colossal project failure?"

And his response was
"It surely has to be the team."

Now, it's very interesting
that during such a program,

the boss would blame the team.

And I remember in the discussions,

I said, "How do you know the team?

Do you know what they do?

Do you spend time with them?

Do you ask them questions?"

And he said, "All the time."

But it was very clear
that he wasn't present.

Now, have a look at this picture.

My name is Liz Theophille,

and I'm the chief technology
and digital officer

to a large global healthcare company.

I grew up in an environment
that really focused on strong leadership.

But I believe to become a leader
that leads with the heart,

you need to encourage
experimental mindset,

you need to provide
psychological safety for teams,

and, also, you need
to be a servant leader.

But I grew up in an era, in a culture
where leaders were feared

and not necessarily respected
for what they knew.

That was during difficult times,

but I believe there's
better ways of leading.

Now, you've probably noticed

that I have an extremely strong
Scottish accent.

Right?

Yes, I grew up in Scotland.

But I don't have all the mannerisms
of a Scottish person.

I'm more like this.

I'm very proud,

I'm strong, and I'm determined.

But I recognize

some of the mannerisms
of my boss and the team in myself,

especially when I was a young leader,

when I started off.

I was very technical.

But when I started to evolve
from a technical expert

into leading teams of technical people,

I used to micromanage.

I used to check on everything
that was happening

because I knew many
of the solutions and the answers.

And I'm sure that was very intimidating

for the teams.

But I know that there is a better way,
by leading with the heart,

where you can motivate and inspire teams.

There was an occasion

when I was leading
my first technical team.

I had someone in the team
that was extremely strong technically.

But he was quite introverted in nature.

And in many occasions,
he loved experimenting with technology.

And he didn't share
some of the things he was doing.

So I actually thought
he was playing around.

And when we sat in meetings
and discussed what the deliverables were

and what we need to expect from him,

he didn't really speak up,

he didn't say much.

So I started to think

that he wasn't paying attention
to what was going on.

When I sat with him during reviews,
he didn't say much,

but he asked me a lot of questions.

And because I was very technical,
I would answer all the questions.

But I realized that I was stifling
his creativity and his innovation

because I wasn't giving him
enough time to think.

I know better now.

I don't want to intimidate teams
by not listening

and creating what I would call
"an experimental mindset,"

where you can take risks
and you can experiment with technology.

There was another time

when I had to lead

one of the most complex
and hardest transformations

I've ever done in my career.

I was a leader at that time
of what we called "global data centers."

These are large technical centers
where we have computers and so on.

And I remember I had
three major regional data centers:

one in the UK, one in Germany
and one in France.

One of my tasks was to consolidate
all of those data centers into one.

And of course, we chose France.

(Applause)

I wouldn't clap yet.

(Laughter)

Now,

that meant that I had to let go

close to 400 employees.

These were employees
that I worked with in the past.

I grew up with them.

We had lunch together.

We sometimes went out together.

We solve problems together.

But I had to let 400 people go.

And I remember when I met with HR

and we had the conversation
about how we go about this,

they said, "Liz, don't worry.

It's our job to take care of that.

We will meet with them,
and we will give them their letters."

Now, I was very, very shocked
by this process, being a new leader.

And I said,

"That is a very inhumane,
cowardly and faceless way

to manage employees

that have worked for the company
for such a long time."

And I said to them,

"Is it okay if I meet
with every single employee

and explain what's happening?"

Now, they found that quite strange.

They said, "Liz, that's very unusual.

But we'll allow you to do it
if you feel that you can do it.”

So I sat down with every employee,

and I explained the context

of why we were rationalizing
in consolidating the data centers.

I also talked about many of the objectives

and what it meant for them.

And it was very hard.

During that process, I started to think,

How can I be credible?

I'm sitting there telling my colleagues

that they're going
to leave the organization,

and I'm still there.

So I decided to go to my boss, and I said,

"Once this transition is complete,
I will leave the organization."

Now that's what I call
leading with the heart.

It's very important

that you consider
the other person's situation.

And in fact, my boss told me
that there was a promotion waiting for me.

But I still decided to leave.

(Applause)

So - thank you.

(Applause)

Let me talk to you

about how you manage
what I call "psychological safety."

I talked about leading with the heart,

but in order to experiment,
you have to take some big risks.

And it's important
while you're taking those risks

that you create an environment
of psychological safety.

I typically do that

with allowing my team to give me feedback,

because that helps to understand
the other point of view.

And that helps them take risks

because they know
you're going to support them.

So psychological safety
is absolutely critical:

it's critical to create a safe environment
that allows you to experiment

but also allows you to fail and learn.

But feedback sometimes
is very hard as a leader

because you think you're strong.

But being a servant leader

means that you're able
to take the feedback,

and it also means
that you're able to change.

So I believe in being that servant leader.

So if I can just leave you
with a couple of things

from my presentation.

I hope it demonstrates
how you can lead with the heart.

So I have three things,

but you only need
to choose one of them.

Because I would like you
to practice one of them.

So first of all,

encourage an environment
where you can experiment

and have an experimental mindset.

But that means you will have
many, many false starts

but also many failures.

But cultivate and embrace
an experimental mindset.

Number two,

create an environment
of psychological safety.

You will be amazed at how open,
honest and transparent your team will be.

They will share many things with you.

And last but not least,
be a servant leader.

Listen, show compassion,
ask for feedback -

because it truly helps you
develop as a leader.

I hope that helps you
to lead with the heart.

Merci beaucoup.

(Applause)