Interview with phyllis Lundy

What does it mean to be a great leader?

I think all leaders need to have followers. You can’t call yourself a leader unless someone is following you. Great leaders inspire others to follow them toward a meaningful goal or result. 

I think people in general all want to be an integral part of a high-performing team that is moving toward a challenging goal. And if a person can set that up for the team I believe they exhibit that leadership quality that will inspire people to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. 

Do you feel you're a leader? Why or why not?

I do feel that I’m a leader. When I worked in the corporate environment I took on a leadership role. Now with my own business I have taken on a leadership role with the consultants who work for my business. 

I try to live life authentically -- with my actions aligned with my beliefs. 

Tell a story of a time you took the lead -- what was your motivation?

I was the operations manager for a company that was being acquired by a major competitor. I had 30 employees working with me. We were going through tremendous change and all the staff wanted was to feel valuable and secure. 

I pulled everyone together and although I wasn’t a public speaker, I was able to find the right words to inspire everyone to continue working together as a cohesive team. I remember feeling the energy in the room shift and turn to excitement. I felt I had created a safe space for people to move forward. 

I would say the result of that story is that of those 30 employees, I’m still friends with about 20 of them. 

Follow Phyllis Lundy on LinkedIn 

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