Leading with Consistency and Compassion with Maura Jackson

I can see how you got to where you got to, Moira Jackson.

Um, no, that, that's a really good insight into the world of leadership and, and you j- sounds like you did a fantastic job.

As an interesting technique-

I loved it, you know.

I, I loved the job.

Um, and stepping down in March was really difficult.

Um, I knew it was the right time for the organization and for me.

Uh, gave them 10 months' notice so that nobody was panicking or rushing in the recruitment of my replacement and all that sort of went along, and I was able to leave and think, it's in great hands and, uh, and I've been able to now set up a business where I'm helping other leaders kind of get to where they wanna be maybe a bit quicker than I did by having a good one-to-one mentor or, um, I mean, I wrote a book last year, uh, about leadership called Finding Your Feathers.

So there's feathers and bird analogies all over me.

Um, and-

[laughs]

...

the basis of that was around the principles of leadership that I'd picked up along the way, which include things like holding your nerve, you know, developing that poker face that we all need, um, being able to be the ringmaster of your circus and not a clown, and all that sort of...

I use the circus as analogy quite a lot.

Um, but the, the, the final chapter, the final principle was don't be a dick, and I, I use that.

It sounds flippant, but for me, that's represents integrity, because don't be a dick is about just being kind, having compassion, you know, using those personable qualities in leadership that I think historically were considered weak.

Um, because I'm definitely not a weak leader.

Um, but I'm not unkind, you know.

And I have had to make some truly difficult decisions in my time and give people really, really bad news, um, staff and clients alike.

Um, and so, I mean, years ago, I tell this story when I do a, a talk.

Years ago, I ended up in a, a multi-agency meeting where we were telling, uh, a couple that their baby was gonna be taken into foster care, uh, because of a risk.

And, um, the social worker was coming in the meeting.

I was there from a supported housing angle.

I was the manager of a supported housing service where this family lived.

And so I was there for moral support, and the social worker was going to deliver the information.