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In this episode, Heather interviews Sonya D. Crockett, Senior Human Resources Business Partner and People Conflict Resolution Specialist at Raising Canes. She opens up about how her mother is her driving force, who instilled in her from a young age that the answer to most problems in life is to care. Her mother's mantra in life was "if you do what's right, right will follow you" and that's something Sonya lives by. Take a listen.
Key Takeaways:
- Don't wait for someone to tell you that you are a leader.
- Be intentional with your words and actions.
- Always do what's right.
- Lead with care and success will follow.
- Your actions have an impact on those around you.
Sonya D. Crockett is the Senior Human Resources Business Partner and People Conflict Resolution Specialist at Raising Canes. Before that, she had various Human Resources leadership positions at companies such as Bank of America, GTL Limited, and Avis Budget Group.
Sonya graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelors in Communications and Public Relations, and then went on to get her Master’s of Science from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law.
Don't wait for someone to tell you that you are a leader. – Sonya Crcokett #leadershipwithheart Click To Tweet
Be Intentional
I always try to make it a habit to identify people by name, because I think people love hearing their names and it means something. It says that you were very intentional about calling me out by name. So one day I went into Corner Bakery and said good morning to a worker, Chuck, and he said good morning back. I didn't introduce myself or tell him my name, but he took my order. Then the following day, I wanted breakfast again and once again Chuck was there, so I said good morning Chuck again. Then on the third day I went in, before I could say good morning, he says good morning Mrs.Sonya. That was the highlight of my entire day. Him taking the time to acknowledge me by name made such a big impact. I began to think about how intentional you have to be to have that caring spirit. It’s different too when it comes from someone who’s not your family or friends. Being intentional can be so impactful and we forget sometimes.
If you do what's right, right will follow you. - Sonya Crockett #leadershipwithheart Click To Tweet
Upper Management Needs Care Too
I think a lot of us leaders feel like it's a lot easier to be caring towards our peers, colleagues, and with any of the teams that we're surrounded by. But when you start going up the ladder, I think there is a natural expectation and natural thought that those upper management leaders should already know better. We often think that we shouldn't have to tell them what it means to be a Caring Leader and to be respectful, and just how to put your emotional arms around the team that supports you. That's where I failed in the past, and I think that if I had done things differently, it could have impacted that un-caring manager in a positive way. By showing care myself, that manager could have been more of a caring leader herself. We often forget that upper management needs just as much training as the rest of the company.
The work is different from the job. The job is what I get paid to do, the work is what I feel like I'm called to do. - Sonya Crockett #leadershipwithheart Click To Tweet
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