Episode 36 — Culture & Leadership with Joshua Szarek

Manage This - The Project Management Podcast

ANDY CROWE ● BILL YATES ● NICK WALKER ● JOSHUA SZAREK NICK WALKER: Welcome to Manage This, the podcast by project managers for project managers. Every other week we get together to discuss what matters to you in this lively and ever-changing world of project management. It’s our goal to challenge you, to encourage you, and to provide some principles and guidance, whether you’re a veteran PM or a newbie. And we do that by hearing the everyday stories of others who have been there and done that. I’m your host, Nick Walker, and with me are the two guys who I have no qualms about calling our “resident experts,” Andy Crowe and Bill Yates. And Andy, we have on the phone with us today someone who has worn many hats in his career, and his experience has allowed him to play some key roles in a variety of projects. ANDY CROWE: You know what, Nick, I’m really excited about this particular guest and the topic that we’re talking about, leadership and culture. And he’s got a perspective that I don’t think anyone else that we’ve had on the podcast has brought. So this is going to be good. NICK WALKER: Well, let me introduce him. Joshua Szarek has a background as an officer in the military. He’s worked in the oil and gas industry, in healthcare, and now in real estate. He has degrees in mechanical engineering and business, an MBA in marketing and finance, and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. Joshua, welcome to Manage This. JOSHUA SZAREK: Thank you very much. I’m glad to be here. NICK WALKER: Now, you have been a leader in a variety of different organizational environments and cultures. You’ve seen how essential effective leadership is in creating a great culture. I think it might be a good place to start, by just talking a little bit about what you call your “three pillars” for successful organizations: leadership, education, and communication. Why are those three things pillars? JOSHUA SZAREK: You know, I really feel like those three things are pillars because none of the three can stand alone. I really believe that. Leadership is a key principle, and you have to have someone who is a willing and educated learner, and someone who is open to different communication styles because, as good leaders, you have to have all three, and you have to be able to instill that and be able to continue to grow yourself and communicate in a clear, concise method on ways how other people like to be communicated with. NICK WALKER: And one of the things I understand that you really put forth in your speaking engagements is the importance of leadership in establishing an effective culture and vice versa. A great culture means great leadership, but it can also work the opposite. JOSHUA SZAREK: Yes, it can. We’ve seen this in a lot of different organizations and cultures. And as you had mentioned earlier, I’ve been very fortunate to be part of a wide variety of them. And I’ve seen great leaders in bad cultures sink because the atmosphere around them was not conducive. And I’ve seen great cultures with bad leaders that couldn’t rise because they didn’t know how to fit within that atmosphere. ANDY CROWE: Joshua, this is Andy. And one of the things that stands out in your bio is you’ve had a lot of military service. You’ve worked in the special forces. Talk to me about leadership in that context, and talk to me about what you observed and what you saw, maybe good and bad. I’m sure at this point in your career you’ve probably seen a lot of the spectrum of good leadership and maybe some that was a little be lacking. Talk to me a little bit about that in the context of the military world. JOSHUA SZAREK: Sure. In the military, the first definition of leadership that you learn is it’s the process of influencing others to accomplish a mission or task by providing purpose, motivation, and direction. And you see this very often as young leaders who don’t take good direction from their senior enlisted soldie...