Leadership: Not One Size Fits All

Phillips Edison & Company recently rolled out four leadership traits that define what we expect from our leaders. They are: Authenticity, Acumen, Action and Agility. These traits, and their accompanying definitions, provide a roadmap for leadership success at PECO and are designed to guide associates as they develop their skills. That being said, no two individuals are the same. Each leader and emerging leader must play to his or her strengths while continuously looking to grow in areas where they might not be as strong.

The company provides an array of development opportunities and tools to help associates enhance their leadership skills around the four leadership traits. Most recently, we held our first Leadership Week which provided the team with a full calendar of events, including: outside speakers Beth Azor and David Falk, one-on-one development planning, roundtable discussions with current PECO leaders, in-house training sessions, and external executive presence training with Roberta Fiore-Kittell. A common theme emerged throughout these sessions: true leaders continuously work to grow their skills and leadership style in all areas.  

One way we help team members identify areas of strength and opportunity is through the DiSC profile which uses team member responses to a series of questions to identify their unique, personal working style. Every team member completes a profile after joining PECO and all associates have access to all profiles. These reports assist individuals in understanding how their management style may contribute (or detract) from their success and that of their team. They also help us find ways to better communicate and work with various team members and provide a common language for discussion of behavioral tendencies. DiSC highlights our differences, helps us find common ground and shows us where we have opportunity for growth.

Several of the Leadership Week events utilized DiSC reports to provide a basis for ongoing development planning. The Productive Conflict session helped team members use DiSC to understand how they react to conflict and provided actionable take-aways to increase their effectiveness during conflict situations.  Another event, the DiSC Leadership 363 Workshop, is required for all managers and above. It used the DiSC 363 report, which gets specific input from the associate’s manager, direct reports and peers, consolidates that information and provides an analysis of the individual’s strengths and specific areas for growth. Each of these training courses helped associates identify their strengths and areas of opportunity and provided specific, actionable suggestions for ongoing development.

Authenticity, Acumen, Action and Agility. PECO expects all leaders to embrace these traits and strive to embody them.  But we understand that there is not a one size fits all approach to leadership and that individuals have unique styles. Leadership Week provided associates with the opportunity to hear from a range of leaders, see their varying styles and then examine their own skillsets and behaviors. Going forward, we will continue to offer an array of development opportunities to help associates identify their personal leadership style, lean into their strengths and continue to grow.