Developing Leadership Skills for Managers with Tom Lawrence

<p><strong>Quote:</strong> “Too often I’ve seen middle managers that don’t have leadership skills that service their people.  They don’t think that serving their people is what leadership is all about.”  Tom Lawrence</p> <p>What does it take to be a good leader?  We have all seen it before…someone in the company gets promoted to management level and lacks the skills to be an effective leader.  Just because you’re great at your job, doesn’t automatically make you a good leader.  On this episode of Authentic Living with Roxanne, we welcome (all the way from the UK) Tom Lawrence to share his knowledge about what it takes to become a highly effective leader.</p> <p>Tom began his career in 1999 as an apprentice mechanical engineer, working for an automotive company in Liverpool, UK.  After completing his apprenticeship, he was made redundant from that company and had to find other work, which is when he joined the rail industry working for Merseyside’s train operator. He worked there for six years, and during that time he achieved his degree in mechanical engineering, his master’s degree in maintenance engineering, and he started his first leadership role as a project manager in 2009. After leaving Liverpool in 2011, he has worked in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London where he currently lives. Tom became a chartered engineer in 2013 and is a mentor for new and upcoming engineers working towards their chartership. Working in these different cities he had remained within the rail industry and led different types of engineering teams, learning and practicing different leadership styles.</p> <p><strong>Authentic Touch Points:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Tom’s journey to leadership.  1:30</li> <li>Does the industry matter in regard to people skills?  4:00</li> <li>Manager vs Leader.  8:30</li> <li>It’s all about connection.  11:30</li> <li>Virtual leadership & trust.  14:30</li> <li>Use the pandemic as an opportunity to improve.  18:30</li> <li>It’s okay to make mistakes.  22:30</li> <li>Step to help you become a great leader.  24:30