My latest podcast was with Alex David, President and CEO of Stifel Independent Advisors. Alex is a recognized executive within financial services who has been showcased on the world stage for his ability to champion and lead inclusion initiatives. He was recently named the 2023 Investment News Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion honoree for Lifetime Achievement.
Alex spoke to me this month about everything from how he launched his career on Wall Street to giving back and mentoring. He also shared the top leadership attributes for leading in today’s workplace and gave his advice for what women can do to accelerate and sustain their career trajectory.
Here are a few topline points and strategies that Alex imparted on the top three leadership attributes to cultivate, as well as his top three tips for women in leadership:
Alex David’s Top 3 Leadership Attributes
Find the Root Cause of Problems
Problem-solving is one of the most important skills for any leader—and also the most difficult. Alex explained that as a leader, you can’t effectively problem-solve without digging deep into what caused it in the first place, and using that information to help you formulate an effective response. With this in mind, he emphasized the importance of leaders appreciating that when they are making decisions, it’s critical to establish the root cause of what the problem is. “Make sure you are asking the question why,” Alex advised. “Make sure to ask four to five times, and you will begin to get down to the root cause.”
Become More Humble
As a leader, Alex cares deeply about how people are treated, and he suggests a pathway to this is for leaders to become humbler. “We should see ourselves as serving those who are coming behind us versus them serving us,” Alex said. While the traditional leadership model is the opposite, Alex’s vision of a leader who serves their team and those in less senior positions is a model that helps leaders create trust and loyalty.
Always Leave a Person with Their Dignity
On a related note, Alex recommends that leaders find ways to ensure that everyone they work with, regardless of challenging circumstances, is treated in a way that doesn’t rob them of their personal dignity. “Even if you have to fire someone, even if giving someone very important, corrective criticism, you can always leave a person with their dignity — that is what humanity is,” Alex said. Leaders often must have challenging conversations and point out what’s gone wrong—but the best leaders learn how to do this in such a way that people feel cared about, not criticized.
Alex David’s Top 3 Tips for Women in Leadership
Realize How Savvy You Are
At any level and in any industry, part of what’s needed to succeed and advance is an awareness of and self-confidence about what you bring to the table. Alex’s best advice for women includes realizing how savvy you already are. By having this understanding, you can approach any situation more effectively, whether you’re currently a leader or aspire to be one someday. What can you do to get in touch with what you offer, and your talents and skills, so that others appreciate these attributes too?
Realize the Power You Possess
Along with recognizing your own professional savvy, women should also get in touch with the power they possess to reach their goals. I’ve seen through my years of executive coaching and training at SHAMBAUGH that women often fall victim to the “sticky floor,” or hidden behaviors that sabotage their success. This can hold them back in their careers, whether it’s from being a perfectionist who can’t let go of a task that’s been done well enough, or if shying away from speaking up in meetings because of a fear of being judged. By flipping this script and embracing your power, you can conquer your insecurities and get the recognition you deserve.
Go Beyond Just Listening
Finally, Alex pointed out that while listening is critical to leaders, it’s not just the average type of listening that’s required when you manage people. He described what’s required as “listening with an extra ear of emotion behind it.” The goal is not just for people to hear that you said something, but that you can feel what they actually mean. “Anyone with this emotional intelligence thrives and does well” at this enhanced type of listening, according to Alex—and he noted that many women leaders have an almost innate talent in this arena. He recommended that women recognize this, take charge of it, and use it to their advantage.
If you or your team have advice for women in leadership that you’d like to share or questions you’d like to ask about this topic, please reach out to me at info@shambaughleadership.com.
Link to SHAMBAUGH’s offerings on Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, Coaching and Development Programs for Women, Keynotes and Fireside Chats.
Listen to the new Women Rise podcast episode: A Conversation with Alex David, President and CEO of Stifel Independent Advisors. Make sure to follow the Women Rise podcast to stay up to date on Rebecca Shambaugh’s latest exclusive interviews and conversations with some of the world’s most inspiring business leaders and be notified when new episodes are released!
Rebecca Shambaugh is a recognized author and speaker on leadership best practices. She is president of SHAMBAUGH Leadership, founder of Women in Leadership and Learning, and author of the bestselling books It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor and Make Room for Her: Why Companies Need an Integrated Leadership Model to Achieve Extraordinary Results.