Ep. 48: Deborah Coviello on The 7 Compass Points To Get You Back On Track

In this episode, David sits down with Deborah Coviello, Founder of Illumination Partners, Author, and Host of The Drop In CEO podcast, to discuss the 7 compass points to get you back on track.

Buy David’s NEW Book: https://www.trustedleaderbook.com/

Deborah’s Bio:
Deb Coviello is the Founder of Illumination Partners and the host of The Drop In CEO podcast. For more than twenty years, she has been transforming businesses from within, elevating the talents of their organizations to new performance levels. Her experience has taught her to put tremendous value on people, whom she considers as the heart of every business.

When hiring a consultant, Deb knows that the primary goal will always be a resolution to a problem. As The Drop In CEO Deb provides her clients with 25+ years worth of experience and strategy in Quality and Operational Excellence roles combined with her 20 years in the Flavors and Fragrance industry, to identify, assess, and solve the issues that are preventing their business growth. Certified as Lean and Six Sigma Blackbelt in Process Improvement, she has also developed significant leadership insight that “People’’ are your greatest tool in your toolbox. In order to deliver on her promise of offering “peace of mind,” she focuses on utilizing the talents of her client’s team and elevating them to new levels of performance, setting them up to better serve their organization.

When she isn’t transforming businesses from within, Deb is a board member of Women in Flavor & Fragrance Commerce, (WFFC), an avid Curler with the Cincinnati Curling Club, a mother of 3 and resides in Cincinnati Ohio with her Husband Dan of 32 years.

Deborah’s Links:
Website: https://dropinceo.com
“The CEO’s Compass” by Deborah A. Coviello: https://amzn.to/3At4jdo
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahacoviello/
Drop in CEO Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drop-in-ceo/id1498953914?ls=1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IlluminationPartnersLLC/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/DropinCEO
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dropinceo

Key Quotes:
1. “We have to stop being results oriented.”
2. “A leader needs a compass.”
3. “True north is peace of mind.”
4. “The solution to most of your problems are within and quite inexpensive.”
5. “Pride is the intersection of your humanity and intellectual property.”
6. “Invest in the people. They’re going to take care of you.”
7. “Feedback is such a negative experience.”
8. “Feedback is a gift when you do it in the right way.”
9. “It’s really about the human.”

Links Mentioned In The Episode:
“The CEO’s Compass” by Deborah A. Coviello: https://amzn.to/3At4jdo
“The Long Game” by Dorie Clark: https://amzn.to/3EwRUaG

Buy David’s NEW book Trusted Leader: https://www.trustedleaderbook.com/

David’s Links:
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Show Transcript

David Horsager: Welcome to the trusted leader show it’s David Horsager and i’ve got a special guest today a relatively new friend, but we hit it off and her name is Deborah Coviello.


Deborah Coviello: Thanks for.


David Horsager: Being on Deborah.


Deborah Coviello: A day Thank you so much for the opportunity, I look forward to having this conversation and your audience listening.


David Horsager: Yes, and your work aligns a whole lot with what we do at trusted leadership Institute and all the work we do around creating trusted leaders.


David Horsager: Deborah is the founder of illumination partners, she comes out of a whole list of accolades and experience in quality and so.


David Horsager: She also is the host of dropping CEO podcast that’s where I met thanks for the invite and that’s been fun.


David Horsager: she’s author of the brand new book the CEOs compass so we’re going to get into some of this and there’s going to be something for everyone today but Deborah thanks again for being here.


Deborah Coviello: My pleasure can’t wait to have this conversation and looking forward to sharing a bit about the CEOs campus.


David Horsager: I can’t wait so tell us something not on your resume.


Deborah Coviello: Oh wow you start with the hard ones, but you know what it’s important to get to know the person, I am a 2017 silver medalist in arena national curling so I curl throw stones on ice sweep real heart and yell at people, and I do it well.


David Horsager: I saw that you’re a board member of our have been a board member of one of the curling associations, and I think that’s fasting you know we’re we’re in.


David Horsager: Minnesota this little sidetrack usually I want to get right to the meat, but I will tell you.


David Horsager: Being from Minnesota our kids because of the work we do they’ve been able to you know go to Africa and beaches and around the world, whatever one time.


David Horsager: We were, I was saying spring break, we just need to do a Minnesota vacation so we headed North we did mushing.


David Horsager: We did ice fishing, by the way, dog studying That was the most fun amazing thing ever for us up in the north woods.


David Horsager: We some other you we went to the Minister, the US hockey hall of fame and we watched a curling tournament up in hibbing Minnesota so that was our first interaction with curling.


Deborah Coviello: yeah and let’s let’s say it is also an athletic sport a very social sport it’s more about the sportsmanship having an adult beverage before, during or even after.


Deborah Coviello: And just you know it’s one of those sports that you could be eight or 80 and still play on the same team and just enjoy the sport and sportsmanship of the game, so I love it i’m hooked and, if you want to learn more just reach out to me.


David Horsager: i’m looking forward to that, I think that that that seems like a super fun.


David Horsager: Sport i’m not a big golfer and some other things so that that’s something we have you know many places here in Minnesota so.


Deborah Coviello: You know and it’s an interesting thing curling, it is a sport, but there is something about the strategy leveraging people skills and capabilities and try to get the best outcome, so it is so tied to business and I have many stories about curling and business are related.


David Horsager: let’s get into some of those.


David Horsager: So.


David Horsager: A couple things let’s let’s let’s get into this new book right away, I want to get back to personal.


David Horsager: It a little bit we always do, that I think people that you know tend to not lead others that well they don’t lead themselves well and there’s some things you’re doing that way, but first let’s jump into this book because.


David Horsager: you’ve interviewed so many CEOs you’ve gleaned all this information you put it out in this new book the CEOs compass but let’s get to the inspiration for this book and a few takeaways we can start to think about right now.


Deborah Coviello: So the inspiration for the book.


Deborah Coviello: i’m a recovering writer blogger and video person, and I was putting out so much thought leadership content out into the universe that people actually.


Deborah Coviello: hit me with Ted we don’t know what you do we don’t know what you stand for, and when it comes to being a trusted leader and you talk about consistency, so I really took a lot a lot away from your book.


Deborah Coviello: I needed to be consistent, people needed to know what was it that I stood for they knew, she was a podcaster they knew I like video but they didn’t understand the message, so I needed.


Deborah Coviello: needed to write the book and distill it down into what is my approach, what have I seen when a leader goes through rapid transformation.


Deborah Coviello: They may have been a rock star at one point in time, and then the environment changes they acquire new people there’s a downsizing customer requirements are change and then they’re off track.


Deborah Coviello: And so it all came to me that you know, there are seven compass points where you can be off track.


Deborah Coviello: And the Aha moment was, we have to stop being results oriented now that may be a shock because stakeholders your shareholders all require us to get results profitability market share, etc.


Deborah Coviello: But that is short lived, that is not sustainable, unless leaders seek true north or peace of mind, and so, with all of these different pieces that I found that leaders are off track people process past.


Deborah Coviello: pride and then there’s a myriad of others true North peace of mind, is what we’re trying to achieve, because customers don’t care about your market share.


Deborah Coviello: But they want to know that you have their back that’s trust.


Deborah Coviello: That builds brand loyalty and so ultimately this book is my framework for not only my experience, but what I have seen through numerous interviews on the drop and CEO podcast a leader needs a compass.


Deborah Coviello: They may be a little bit off track, and they need to find those compass points to pull on to get them to true north.


David Horsager: I you know, I have a few I had some specific questions.


David Horsager: prepared, but you know i’m very curious, as you know, so we need to just jump into before this I let’s just hear the seven we can’t go deep on the seven and this time, people need to go grab the book the CEOs compass.


David Horsager: Your guide to getting back on track.


David Horsager: I haven’t even had the opportunity to read it, yet you know I will but.


David Horsager: When this podcast comes out the book will have just launched, so we I need a little teasing to write with everybody else listening, as I am looking forward to getting my copy as soon as it comes out but for now we’ve got to hear what are those seven compass points.


Deborah Coviello: Okay, well, thank you so much, but just if you can close your eyes and hopefully you’re not driving when you are listening to this.


Deborah Coviello: True north is peace of mind, so north is peace of mind, then, I want you to go Northwest and North and northeast purpose and performance.


Deborah Coviello: Often leaders are off track on those two they go hand in hand the next to past and pride that speaks to culture and the humanity and intellectual property.


Deborah Coviello: Finally, process and people, which I have a different take on what those are in terms of leadership and developing our people, and then, finally, in the southern most corner, is the platform or tools for which we.


Deborah Coviello: equip our people, so there is a lot in there, you may have heard those terms, before, but I think differently and I presented in the concept of human centric leadership, which is a little bit different than most leader book leadership books.


David Horsager: What does that mean human centric so i’ve got my compass right here and i’m looking at this, but i’m thinking what what is.


David Horsager: there’s a there’s a whole lot of organizations that are moving toward even that name and global force just became work human right and the there’s this movement, even in our culture toward.


David Horsager: I think, humanity and humanists maybe code brought that out and other things, but what’s your take on what that means.


Deborah Coviello: You know, we can throw money, resources new processes and.


Deborah Coviello: Things at a problem that’s the easy way to fix things but I propose to leaders that the solution to most of your problems.


Deborah Coviello: Are within and quite inexpensive because we hire people into our organization, we make an investment.


Deborah Coviello: And then somewhere along the line for many organizations, we stopped investing in our people and then that’s where we become misaligned.


Deborah Coviello: On the purpose that people are pursuing and then aligning everybody lockstep to achieve the performance results.


Deborah Coviello: It is so easy to invest in the people but maybe leaders aren’t equipped with the tools to develop the individual.


Deborah Coviello: And the human dynamics, but I propose to you that if we invest in the humans in all aspects purpose poor performance past pride, etc.


Deborah Coviello: You protect your investment, because when you don’t.


Deborah Coviello: The high performance become the steady at ease and then they fall down the cliff into being poor performers and the next thing you know business has an expense.


Deborah Coviello: So leaders need to think about investing in human capital you’ve heard that before human centric leadership, it is well worth the investment for the long game.


David Horsager: What do you say to people that say we can’t just throw another person at that problem.


Deborah Coviello: I might agree with you, because I think you have to face the problem head on.


Deborah Coviello: I have a number of people that they said, you know, we need new people and so wait a second i’ve got all the talent, I need well yeah they’re getting ready to retire they’re only doing this over there, we need to throw another resource at it and I say why.


Deborah Coviello: I said, you know what is it about that person in the beginning, when you hire them 30 years ago they’re past their culture, what special skills that they have and why now do they not contribute enough, and why are they quiet.


Deborah Coviello: they’re just difficult up there just that way.


Deborah Coviello: Have you ever had a conversation with them to understand why, if they protected themselves, and I think once leaders kind of open up their mind and not right, people often truly understand what is their past and culture, and there I call it pride.


Deborah Coviello: that’s the intersection of your humanity in intellectual property.


Deborah Coviello: Not subject matter expertise, but I elevate the human to intellectual property, because companies will recognize the value of intellectual property and protect it and patent it and hold it near and dear people are the same.


Deborah Coviello: And so I would rather not throw people in fact I think you probably need less people in your organization, because we don’t properly understand the skills, the gifts and property to develop the people and allocate them to the work they should be doing for you.


David Horsager: This reminds me of the the study I saw with the container store it’s not this you know container container store is not that exciting of a business type.


David Horsager: And yet the CEO they’re winning they’re winning in their space and they said that when asked you know what is it about you, how does this work.


David Horsager: He said, you know we went on development in our industry, the average number of hours of developing a first year employees eight hours.


David Horsager: I spent we spent 200 hours developing our people, and we believe, if we hire right, we can take everybody and make them worth three anywhere else.


David Horsager: And that’s what’s winning and that’s why you know the container store is winning basically only on developing people as well i’m so partly so passionate of course i’m passionate about trust, but i’m passionate developing humans, because.


David Horsager: That change you attrition goes down retention goes up culture changes so interesting.


Deborah Coviello: And that’s a mindset shift for leaders, because they think they responsible for the results and delivering the services or products but it’s a mindset shift invest in the people they’re going to take care of you, I mean.


Deborah Coviello: it’s just a mindset shift, I mean, I had a particular leader, that I said, we need to invest in our people, we need to share the strategy with them, they need to know exactly where we’re going three to five years from now.


Deborah Coviello: And they said well that’s nice, but let me focus on the strategy, I need the people heads down doing their work, you know that that leaders, no longer with the organization, because their approach was not sustainable.


David Horsager: hmm reminds me of something we asked here, and if the question is, is it loving toward.


David Horsager: Is that loving toward her client is that loving toward her employees loving toward our team is that loving toward it’s like.


David Horsager: I know love that seems kind of soft in a corporate environment, but this idea that he is especially as entrepreneurs, where hey.


David Horsager: I can say if people are going to get this benefit or that benefit if they’re going to get.


David Horsager: time off if they’re going to and we we work hard, we work fast forward together it’s a pretty open environment just outside of my studio here but um but but a few things hit me, and that is, you know.


David Horsager: I could have power over, and so, especially leaders, in my opinion, healthy leaders need to ask this question, but is it loving toward.


David Horsager: And we changed the way we even do business in many ways, and we started asking that question is that loving toward the client, is it in here it’d be a simple simple.


David Horsager: Different idea, and that is you’d make the most money when we sell a certain product if you offered it basically a silver gold platinum.


David Horsager: And what we said, you know what what’s loving toward them is just saying they can have everything they can all have platinum at this price because they’ll only use.


David Horsager: they’ll use some will use a little bit of this one somebody who’s a little bit of this one, but what’s loving toward them is this way, and so we do need to feed the bottom line, and we need to deal with that, of course, but.


Deborah Coviello: that’s a quite courageous using such an intimate emotional world such as loving in the context of business and, as I think about you know the pillars of the trusted leader.


Deborah Coviello: He talked about commitment and when we talk about people in the significant people in our lives, we are loving on to them.


Deborah Coviello: And that’s a part of commitment, why can’t we do that same thing to our customers and you certainly do that yourself.


David Horsager: we’re trying we’re trying, but thank you well, I got a little preview ahead of time about the sum of what’s in the book, but at this, the question I want to ask from something I I read.


David Horsager: Why do you think everyone can’t be a high performer some people think oh everybody can be a performer if we just do this, that the other thing what’s the you.


Deborah Coviello: So I question it that just in general, why can’t everybody the a high performer and that speaks to the human centric leadership, it talks about your commitment to the humans building trust and an organization.


Deborah Coviello: What i’ve seen is there is a narrative out there corporations are HR business partners and we love our HR business process partners because they have to put us through the process.


Deborah Coviello: of evaluating our people, but we have it all wrong because so often there may be eight nine box approach, for which we put people in a box.


Deborah Coviello: or Oh, they have to be on a bell shaped curve only 10% can be a high performer only 10% can be the poor performer and everybody is a steady eddie in the middle.


Deborah Coviello: And that’s what we believe and that’s what we do, time and time again, but I have had people that are high performers.


Deborah Coviello: And unless we invest in them, and we do invest in them, but sometimes if we don’t invest in the right way they’re so action oriented they may just leave you if you don’t give them the feedback that they’re looking for.


Deborah Coviello: And then I propose to you, those people that are heads down that are loyal they say oh they’ll never leave the company they’re going to be here until they retire.


Deborah Coviello: Have you ever had a conversation with them to ask them what they think versus what they’re doing.


Deborah Coviello: If we have asked them for a transaction get those reports done get those orders out at the end of the day, that is all you’re going to get.


Deborah Coviello: But going back to the CEOs compass when you talk about.


Deborah Coviello: You know the outcome and our true purpose of what we’re trying to achieve, and you say hey, what do you think it’s going to take to be the favorite of our customers and I didn’t say number one, but the favorite.


Deborah Coviello: Oh, we asked for people’s minds we bring their consciousness to work and then you might find that person that’s been heads down has the answer, so the things that have played you, you know they could be the next high performer and then we go to the poor performer.


Deborah Coviello: Do they have a manager that’s even giving them feedback place them in the right role, have we even had a conversation with them where we assume the narrative that they’re labeled as a poor performer.


Deborah Coviello: Again, if you’ve never made the commitment to have a conversation build that trust understand their past and their pride, we may have a steady eddie or your next high performer I just want to break the narrative to assume people only perform at a certain level.


Deborah Coviello: But, given a conversation change, the environment, and I can talk about.


Deborah Coviello: Many examples i’ve had one person who has written off they’re just a subject matter expert they’re never going to be much more.


Deborah Coviello: And then I asked the question about what they wanted, I saw them give a speech, one day, standing up versus sitting down and I gave them feedback and I said, you are so powerful when you stand up and give content and information people leaned into you.


Deborah Coviello: They listened to that they didn’t realize the impact, and so a steady eddie subject matter expert wound up becoming a sought after sought after subject matter expert globally.


Deborah Coviello: They were a go to person under my wing because I took the time to see their value, see their gifts their intellectual property and raise them to a high performer and I want leaders to think about that.


Deborah Coviello: Who can you haven’t you spoken to your people hadn’t spoken to and could everybody, be a high performer start from a place of that mindset You may be surprised.


David Horsager: You mentioned something about feedback.


David Horsager: And you talked a lot about feedback, but you have a few words that help people get a better outcome in feedback tell me about that.


Deborah Coviello: So if you were your leaders are having one on ones with your people, and you say hey they you know you’re doing well, when your your employee comes to you and says how am I doing, and you say oh you’re doing fine you’re doing fine or if they come to you asking for your feedback.


Deborah Coviello: Let me get back to you, and they never do I don’t think we give people a framework to give feedback or to ask for feedback and it starts with three simple words it starts with continue.


Deborah Coviello: start and change because feedback is such a negative experience you’re afraid of what kind of constructive criticism you might get, but if you start with saying you know you should continue to do this you’re really well.


Deborah Coviello: Those are the things that play to people’s strengths, we want people to continue to do that.


Deborah Coviello: And when you give feedback about you know you might want to start doing this because if you start doing it, it may enhance what you’re already doing.


Deborah Coviello: And then, finally, you might want to change this, because it may not hurt you now, but it may hurt you in the future.


Deborah Coviello: So case in point, you may be an amazing speaker get up in front of a group you command the crowd you should continue to speak.


Deborah Coviello: What might you want to start doing you know you are so good at speaking in front of this group, I would love to have you go over to that other group over there, if you start sharing them as a resource with other people.


Deborah Coviello: Other people can recognize the value in the employee becomes more visible.


Deborah Coviello: And then, what might you want to change, maybe the person paces a lot, maybe they’re doing things with their hands, you might want to change that stopped doing that put a pen in your hand because it detracts from the gifts that you have.


Deborah Coviello: All of that is actionable all of that, as positive wouldn’t that be a wonderful conversation to have with your employee feedback is a gift when you do it in the right way.


David Horsager: Mic drop right there, people need that that that right there that little idea and way I love it so get when you give me back continue to do this start to do that.


David Horsager: Change, you might change doing that even the wording in a way of saying it is important, though, so something else came to mind, you know all this.


David Horsager: Human centric leadership, it takes so much time these leaders are so busy people would say to me, I can hear people saying well i’m too busy to do.


David Horsager: This perfect view that this so much time on this this, what do you say to those that you that say oh it’s just it’s just it takes too much time because then I will get the results, I want, by the way, you’re something I said in my wife actually there’s plenty of things, I say that are.


David Horsager: You know not written down recorded, but she actually put this week, said that say that again and I said something that just came out of my mouth mostly I set up for myself, because of the the challenges for myself, but I said margin covers a multitude of sins.


David Horsager: Like having time covers my if I have time i’m not impatient about time I see the human, if I have time I don’t cut someone off right yeah but um but what do you say to these leaders like yeah but they don’t understand i’ve got so much to do, how can I be more human centric.


Deborah Coviello: So this is a family friendly our I cannot use expletives in response to that, but I have to throw that out the window you don’t have time because, quite frankly.


Deborah Coviello: When the employee comes into your office and says, do you have a moment, could you avoided that crisis had maybe you add had a conversation with them earlier, you have time for a crisis.


Deborah Coviello: You have all the time, you need, but I would suggest you and I am a LIEN practitioner, I would propose that people.


Deborah Coviello: need a better approach on evaluating their work content through the day and they need better decision logic, I talked about this in the CEOs compass.


Deborah Coviello: I plagiarize the Eisenhower model where we talk about what is important and what is urgent.


Deborah Coviello: And I think even the best leaders need to re evaluate their work, content and say if it’s important and urgent Okay, hopefully that’s not too big a crisis, it is your responsibility to do it.


Deborah Coviello: But if it’s important and not urgent, can you schedule it in the future if it’s important and urgent, you can also delegate it to somebody and if it’s not important.


Deborah Coviello: And not urgent just write it off, and sometimes leaders feel self important by all the flurry of activity.


Deborah Coviello: But you know what I proposed, if you spend a little time shave things off your calendar that you shouldn’t do that you can delegate you would be amazed at how much time you get back.


Deborah Coviello: Thinking time and then what are those things that you need to do proactively I as a quality improvement professional I would rather be in a place.


Deborah Coviello: of preventing things and developing the systems and the processes and having those one to ones with your employees again human centric invest in the people you know you may have people more aligned.


Deborah Coviello: On a purpose aligning their performance and less reactive maintenance it’s about you, having the discipline to do the work you need to be doing.


David Horsager: Deborah you’ve given us so much in this short time I love it the feedback the the seven pieces that make up a great compass, do you have one or two more takeaways from this book that would inspire us as CEOs.


Deborah Coviello: Great question there’s a couple more points, I am really passionate about because I have seen amazing companies grow rapidly.


Deborah Coviello: and very quickly exceed their human capability and I talked about corporate destabilization.


Deborah Coviello: It is so critical it happens, be in front of your eyes, you have great subject matter experts, you were wonderful as a smaller company, and as you grew.


Deborah Coviello: You elevated these people, you should develop them and elevate them to higher level positions.


Deborah Coviello: But again, this is an investment in the human Have you ever given them the essential skills to be able to communicate to provide feedback to negotiate difficult situations to be able to even articulate.


Deborah Coviello: strong, powerful messages when they disseminate information and they greater disservice is if they haven’t developed these skills, the people below them have nothing to model.


Deborah Coviello: So, for example, you may have a leader, giving a presentation, they spew information and they don’t.


Deborah Coviello: understand why people aren’t following them are going along with them, I gave you the data.


Deborah Coviello: But as an essential skill of okay here’s the information.


Deborah Coviello: Here is the risk or opportunity we have in front of us and here’s the impact if we do or do not do it simple essential skills, but we elevate these people and we don’t tell them how to do this.


Deborah Coviello: And then they wonder why they lose their confidence and they’re no longer effective they leave the company, but also the people under them we.


Deborah Coviello: You have created corporate destabilization so I propose to you as part of your model when you elevate and grow and that’s beautiful think about what are you going to do to invest in your people, so they can be developing themselves and the leaders of department of tomorrow that sustainability.


David Horsager: mm hmm And what about, then, what do I do, how do I keep alignment use the word alignment early on, how do I create and keep alignment, even as i’m growing.


Deborah Coviello: Well, it does start with the top what ultimately, what is the outcome, the overall organization is trying to achieve and it’s very important to have a well articulated purpose or to a why.


Deborah Coviello: Why are we here, why is it we are here to serve, it is important to be able to look at your top tier your middle tier your bottom tier people.


Deborah Coviello: And what is it that they need in order to be successful, so, for instance, if we say we want to provide the best service in our sector certainly your customer service people and sales people understand what services.


Deborah Coviello: But your middle tier people if they are having handoffs with internal people they are arguing they’re in silos they’re not communicating they’re not committed to their internal customers.


Deborah Coviello: You haven’t given them the skills to understand what excellent customer services and so, then you go down the rank and file we’re working in our silos we’ve had an.


Deborah Coviello: regularly talked about what does it mean to have service level agreements have internal customer service, because at the end of the day, if the people who are touching your customer.


Deborah Coviello: are having internal customer service issues your customer is going to feel the pain, despite all of the powerpoints and you’re having an amazing customer service and sales department.


Deborah Coviello: That is critical for performance is ensure that everybody has all the skills, all the right level to achieve your purpose be aligned and you’ll have the performance results.


David Horsager: love it.


David Horsager: So let’s get personal here just a little bit what we’ve learned is this, and I know you’ve been a leader you’ve let other leaders you’ve been a voice to leaders.


David Horsager: But we know that leaders that.


David Horsager: tend to do well, that are at least high trusted tend to lead themselves well do you have any debra and I know imperfect, as we are, but do you have habits or routines that make you better as a leader that help you lead every day personal habits that help you be personally healthy.


Deborah Coviello: You know that’s a work in progress, it we’re always evolving trying to find those things that just keep us a line going forward, but I will tell you.


Deborah Coviello: there’s a couple things that I do one is setting the right priorities for myself, I used to talk about personally there’s my achievements my revenue my brand and then my health and wellness.


Deborah Coviello: And that only got me so far, so I make sure I have the right priorities this year in 2021 I flipped the priorities I focus on my time my health and wellness my sleep I.


Deborah Coviello: asked my husband i’m a cranky person if I don’t get enough sleep, then I focus on building the trust and the commitment to my customers and then, finally, the revenue and the tangible results, I make sure I have my priorities right every day, but then I too.


Deborah Coviello: I can be scattered, I want to change the world, I want to do a lot of things, I have a daily accountability tool.


Deborah Coviello: I look at it daily weekly, monthly because you know, sometimes our goals can be lofty and overwhelming, then we procrastinate and we fail.


Deborah Coviello: But if I every day week or month can progress forward, according to some, accountability, even a leader needs accountability, despite having that vision out there to keep them going forward so I regularly review my planner every day.


Deborah Coviello: But, most importantly, I take time for myself each morning I just sit there I evaluate what I need to accomplish what’s most important.


Deborah Coviello: get an hour and a half headstart of my husband before I have the interruption, but you know what when I get that i’m just a better human and I can serve better.


David Horsager: Do you have any questions that you think leaders today should be asking that they’re not asking like what, what are we missing.


Deborah Coviello: I mean the simple ones on a tactical level when we meet with our people are we asking them such questions do you have everything you need to be successful.


Deborah Coviello: Because that’s what our job is it’s not about hey how are you doing on that project or hey are you getting that result you know, do you have any issues there it’s really about the human.


Deborah Coviello: Ask the question, what do you need to be successful kick the boxes, I remember norm ring get I don’t even know if he’s with us anymore.


Deborah Coviello: Mid career, he says every single morning I would walk around the plant and kick the boxes just get the pulse of what people are doing and say how can I help, how can I help that’s really what our job is all about.


David Horsager: Leaders leaders job is to help.


David Horsager: Well let’s do a couple lightning round questions here as we get going, but first of all what’s what’s motivating you these days.


Deborah Coviello: And there’s a couple things that are motivating me and again it’s just one thing at a time, you know.


Deborah Coviello: home I the book The book is out so i’m certainly grateful for having the strength and energy and supporters to get the book out, but what motivates me is just one person at a time.


Deborah Coviello: You know I didn’t set out to the number one best selling author, but when I have somebody who I coach and then, when they were done you say deb you made a difference, you made me think about myself difference I got my confidence back i’m now moving forward to some of my coaching work.


Deborah Coviello: When i’m in front of a client.


Deborah Coviello: And they say.


Deborah Coviello: you’re a godsend we couldn’t have done this without you.


Deborah Coviello: And you get the follow up work that is what motivates me every day, but on a personal note.


Deborah Coviello: On my my children, you know hard parenting does pay off when you start seeing to make making responsible decisions and being productive citizens that’s motivation to keep going that’s really what it’s all about it’s my contribution and my commitment for the next generation that’s motivating.


David Horsager: For those listening you don’t see this for those watching on the YouTube channel, you might there’s a few soldiers and beautiful folks behind you are those some of your kids.


Deborah Coviello: Yes, my daughter 19 architectural student at the University of Kentucky.


Deborah Coviello: David over here, he just got his sergeant position I believe he is in the army and on spock Germany and Daniel down here, he is married he is 30 years old, he has three degrees MBA.


Deborah Coviello: And going to be working in Zurich Switzerland, along with his wife, they are making a difference, I could go on an entire podcast about their accomplishments but they’re really why we’re here is to leave a legacy.


David Horsager: What a global global perspective to that they have so thank you there’s probably nothing better than for you to create great kids.


Deborah Coviello: You know, when your son Daniel down here spoke in Taiwan in front of 100,000 people on buddha’s birthday and on mother’s day.


Deborah Coviello: Because he was a sought out speaker because he was speaking about youth having a greater voice in the political and economical market because.


Deborah Coviello: We don’t want people who are generations older than us making decisions that youth need to have a more active voice that is a motivating moment to know that i’ve done the right thing and and will still be there to support them in the good in the bad.


Deborah Coviello: David David protecting people that can protect themselves what a noble cause where did children get that.


Deborah Coviello: You know hard parenting good values and finding their way yeah.


David Horsager: wow I think we need to skip some of these that’s about that’s a that that that pulls it all together, do you have any big hope for yourself or your work for the future.


Deborah Coviello: Oh wow you first of all, are an amazing host because you have caught me with questions that really make me think and again that is really what I do for leaders as I help them to think but, honestly.


Deborah Coviello: it’s not egotistical, but I do see myself on a stage the CEOs campus it’s just the beginning of me sharing my insights and inspiration, as well as those of other leaders, but if I can impact.


Deborah Coviello: A leader, a future CEO of a company because of the work that i’ve been able to share with them getting to think differently and not following somebody else’s five step approach that really the CEOs compass helps you think for yourself.


Deborah Coviello: evaluate your situation and pick the road and the compass points you need to that work is truly the work I wanted to on a stage speaking sharing with others and making a difference that’s really, what I want to do, and thank you for the opportunity Dave.


Absolutely.


David Horsager: Well you’re the CEO and founder of your own organization you’re the host of the drop in CEO podcast you are the author of CEO compass the CEOs compass.


David Horsager: Where can we’ve got one more question, we were going to close with but before that, where would you like our listeners to find you many want to find out more everybody knows go to the trusted leader show.com to see the show notes tell us.


David Horsager: Where can we find out about you.


Deborah Coviello: simplicity and the website drop and CEO Dr O P, I nc O COM, that is where you can find me and all the links to my social media how to connect with me with my book, the podcast blog and many more resources coming real soon, but my sandbox is linkedin.


Deborah Coviello: You can connect with me there Deborah a coviello the drop in ceo i’d love to have a conversation with you and see how I can help you and give you a compass.


David Horsager: Well, thank you, thank you so much for being here thanks for sharing your insights last question.


David Horsager: it’s the trusted leader show who is the leader you trust and why.


Deborah Coviello: One i’m going to use dorie Clark dorie Clark writes a lot of great content, she is a thought leader, she is a marketing brand expert she has written three books stand out reinventing you and entrepreneurial you.


Deborah Coviello: Yes, she’s an expert push she is living proof she is living the journey and as she’s writing her story she is writing her fourth book.


Deborah Coviello: The long game everything she talks about being authentic developing your personal brand standing out being the leader you’re meant to be celebrating your unique thoughts yours in the trusted space mine in the CEO space she’s authentic she’s consistent and I love following her work.


David Horsager: Thank you, great recommendation and a whole lot of insights today deb Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you, thanks for joining us, this has been the trust the Leader show until next time stay trusted.

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