Very often at this time of year people take time to pause for reflection and look back at the past year for learnings, takeaways, smiles and memories. It’s a great practice to take stock of the year behind before diving into the year ahead with its new goals and exciting projects. I’d love to share a few of my thoughts that summarize 2016 at Davies & Associates.
2016 was a year of change. We wished Dan Wyngaarden well as he launched into retirement, and enjoyed solidifying strong relationships with many of Dan’s previous clients who are continuing to work with us.
Early this fall we welcomed two new members to our team. Lauren Stinson and Alex Birch have brought a diversity of skills and experience to our firm – and they’re really nice people too! We spent much of the fall adjusting to new roles and responsibilities, and establishing improved systems and processes to help us better serve our clients. All these changes have forced us to adapt in ways we’ve never experienced, resulting in positive personal and professional growth and development. I am proud to say we are enjoying strong team cohesiveness, and a renewed energy and engagement as we look to 2017.
Perhaps the greatest takeaway from 2016 is the way these new changes have shaped my own leadership journey. With a bigger team and more responsibility as a sole practitioner, I too needed to be part of the change and growth continuum. I have been putting into practice my belief that the best way to empower a team is to get out of the way of progress and provide each person with the opportunity, authority, responsibility and accountability to do their jobs. Effective leadership means empowering others so that high performance is possible. As a result our team members have been able to learn the true measure of their own strengths and abilities and utilize them in effective ways.
Leadership is a constant continuum of growth and learning. If you’d like to learn more about how to lead from a higher level and build strong influencers within your team, give me a call. I’d love to tell you more. I can guarantee your team will exceed your expectations and take your business to a whole new level.
Merry Christmas!
Deanna
