This month, with our sixth in the series of Leader ToC™ Blog Posts, we interview the wonderful Lea Brovedani who I consider a good friend and colleague in the work around character and leadership. Leader ToC™ (Thoughts on Character) is our monthly series engaging leaders around the world on character, leadership and more. Before we get started this month, here is September’s Leader ToC™ with Joe Calloway and a LINKEDIN post that will catch you up on the previous four wonderful contributions from Valerie Hess, Linda Kavelin-Popov, Hugh Culver and David Gouthro. Enjoy.
INTRODUCING LEA BROVEDANI
Excerpted from her own site, here is a little on Lea.
Lea’s natural ability to hold deep conversations with her audience creates a powerful learning environment. Her confidence and humor while presenting, engage the group and shows up in the positive feedback she receives and the results she delivers. One participant said, “Lea had our attention from her first words until her very last.”
For the past 15 years Lea has been working with clients across Asia and North America delivering programs that target specific areas of concerns and needs. From 2011 to 2012, Lea spent a year in Mumbai, India delivering programs to clients throughout India, Singapore and Indonesia. In late 2012, Lea moved to Philadelphia. It was here that she completed her book TRUSTED – A Leaders Lesson and resumed her work showing leaders how to trust and be trusted. She has been invigorated by what she learned in India and incorporates these learnings into her programs. Clients range from the U.S. Army Corp of Chaplains, FedEx, Suryawanshi School in Nishik, India to ADP Chicago, Bank of Montreal, Canadian Forces Atlantic, CSAE, Nurses Union, and Workmen’s Compensation, to name a few. Lea’s journey to become an expert in trust and emotional intelligence took a circuitous route. After writing her practicum in Adult Education for a group of educators on how to teach with emotional intelligence, she decided to devote her career to help others put trust into action.
Lea rocks, this I know. So, let’s get at it to …
Engage the Leader ToC™
BARRY LEWIS GREEN
Hi Lea, and thank you for taking the time and giving the consideration to Leader ToC™. To start, let me ask one simple and fundamental question. For the benefit of our readers, what is it that you do?
LEA BROVEDANI
My pleasure Barry. Essentially… I improve trust. I do that through speaking/training and by being the best example I can be of trustworthy behavior and by trusting others.
BARRY LEWIS GREEN
I am hearing loud and clear. You are living the real and the dream. 🙂 The example teaches and reaches I often say. So… in so doing, who do you best serve?
LEA BROVEDANI
Somewhat recently, I would have said leaders but I very recently had the pleasure of teaching 1st year University students at Penn State University in Pennsylvania. By working with future leaders as well as present leaders I serve a public who want to see more trust in the world.
BARRY LEWIS GREEN
I couldn’t agree more. As an educator working with youth in leadership, I find there is indeed a hunger both latent and overt. So, what are your thoughts on what makes for great leadership?
LEA BROVEDANI
You can’t have a great leader unless others trust them. Great leaders inspire loyalty and trust by showing they care about others, by making a commitment to a vision, a goal and showing that they are not just spouting platitudes. They show through their actions that there is a consistency between their words and their actions. Great leaders have a track record of accomplishments because of their competency. Finally, all great leaders are great communicators. I have a 5 C model:
- Caring
- Commitment
- Consistency
- Competency
- Communication
BARRY LEWIS GREEN
I love it. 5 C’s. The simplicity and power of it works; it really does. With what you do in mind, what is one challenge you feel requires engaging leadership at this time?
LEA BROVEDANI
I’m currently living in the United States and I , like many others, am riveted to the Presidential race. It has shown me how important it is for all of us to go beyond rhetoric and ask questions that show all 5C’s in action.
BARRY LEWIS GREEN
Indeed. We are living in times that paint a picture of the vital importance of character and trustworthiness and their impact on leadership and results. So, what is the return on investment in facing that challenge, for you?
LEA BROVEDANI
It is incumbent on all of us to realize the cost of leadership on all of the followers. The ROI of trust on all levels of business and government are well documented. In one study, they showed that High Trust companies were 200% more profitable than average companies. We elect leaders we trust which in the current environment in the U.S. absolutely confounds me.
BARRY LEWIS GREEN
The currency of your message is powerful. I see your point and agree wholeheartedly. I can see how the 5 C’s have relevance at school, work and community alike. Lea, I want to thank you for the opportunity to explore your thoughts on leadership, and I want to encourage our readership to seek you out. It has been a true pleasure.
LEA BROVEDANI
The pleasure is mine Barry.
Leader ToC™ out…
Folks, check out Lea’s work today. These times demand it. Over the coming months, around the third or final Friday of each month… we will continue to engage and explore with experts and leaders around the globe. We invite you to join us.
Until next month…
Peace, passion and prosperity.
Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy™
PS
Barry is ultimately a vocalist, speaker, strength coach and educator. His work is about exploring, identifying, practicing and mastering our strengths and building upon them through practical and powerful unity and resourcefulness. That is why Barry is The Unity Guy™. EPIC Engage™ is an extension of The Unity Guy™. The Epic work is all about building strong, united and inspired cultures lead by character… at school, work and community; where everyone matters and contributes everyday.
PPS
Check out this post on learning to trust yourself in the face of fear… a great read with 7 perspectives on courage.
PPPS
We also encourage you to check out this post on thankfulness and integrity and their own role in producing trust in ourselves and in our decisions.
PPPPS ?
Our work is all about character. We work hard and joyfully to help build character driven, united and resourceful organizations and communities around the globe. As part of that work, we offer you …
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