This month we sat down with Jessica Yarmey, the CEO of KickHouse, to discuss leadership.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I really try to lead by example and execute in the trenches alongside my team. They need to know I’m not above any of the tasks that need to be executed, and I know the landscape well enough that I will see and be able to save pieces from falling through the cracks. I never ask my team to do anything I wouldn’t be able to execute.
In your opinion, what is one characteristic you believe every leader should possess?
Every leader should have resilience. A leader’s role is to navigate through challenges and make decisions often based on incomplete information. It is very easy to make mistakes in the role, so it becomes a question of how you react when things go wrong or when mistakes are made. The best leaders aren’t phased by mistakes. They see every failure as a learning opportunity, and they thrive through it.
What is your favorite leadership book and why?
I love “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek because it takes the idea of servant leadership and attaches practical — and biological — examples to the concept. As leaders, we have to simultaneously be at the top of an organization while also supporting every team member and pushing their needs up above our own. We must be ready to protect our people at any level of the organization.
What’s the best piece of leadership advice you’ve ever received?
“You have to let go in order to grow.” Let’s just say I’m a bit of a control freak. Early in my career, it was hard for me to have any success delegating projects to my team because my default was I could do the task faster and better. One of my mentors framed this problem as actually holding my own career back because I was holding onto too many tasks that were dominating my working hours. I learned to delegate with more clarity, and the work quality that came back often exceeded my expectations, making it easier to delegate to that person again. My hours were able to go toward bigger projects, elevating me into larger roles.
Jessica Yarmey shares two tips on being a successful leader:
1. Be available. I try to delegate, not suffocate, but the balancing aspect of that is to always be available if a team member gets stuck. KickHouse is still in start-up mode so we can’t wait for weekly one-on-ones to provide feedback and direction. We use a lot of fast communication channels like Slack, Google Chat and text throughout the day. If I’m not available with fast direction, projects slow or stall.
2. Be self-aware. We all have strengths and weaknesses. As a leader, you need to know yours inside and out. Understand what you’re great at and do more of that. Empower team members to step into things you’re not great at. As an example, one of my weaknesses is leading with empathy. I get caught up in execution mode and I don’t always read the room correctly. I’ve empowered my vice president of marketing who has empathy as a superpower to watch my blind spot and to let me know if I’m missing something.
