What is a Values-First Approach to Conscious Work?

How We Consciously Lead

What is Leadership?

Leadership is the process by which a person sets a purpose for other persons and motivates them to pursue it with effectiveness and full commitment.

You don’t need to show others that you can do your job, you need to show people that they can do their job.

Leaders not only have a mastery of PR but exhibit qualities that motivate and hold others accountable to do their best work possible. It’s simple. A good leader is a positive presence who can perform any role or responsibility at a high-level while inspiring, teaching and helping others do their best work.

What does it mean to be a Conscious Leader?

Conscious Leaders have:

• Unconditional responsibility

• Essential integrity

• Humility

• Authentic communication

• Constructive negotiation

• Impeccable coordination

• Emotional mastery

At Ditto, we believe that when the employees' and company's values are shared, three things can happen:

1. Leaders can speak the truth, expressing and receiving it with respect,

2. Impeccable commitments are honored, which are essential for cooperative relationships, and

3. Imagination can create options to overcome any challenge.

But how do people do good work and reach their full potential?

Employees are social beings. More importantly, they are human beings not human resources. And we long to fit in and feel accepted. We believe great leaders make employees feel accepted, respected, supported, acknowledged and challenged.

It takes more than just fostering a self-starter, scrappy mentality. It takes a whole village of supportive, motivating and empathic leaders, mentors and managers to collaborate with teammates, drive accounts forward and grow as an agency.

At Ditto, we define great leaders as people who are:

• Selflessly motivated to help others grow

• Confident, present and have conviction when speaking

• Exceptional communicators and good listeners

• Effective in giving and receiving feedback

• Diffusers of conflict

• Problem solvers

• Patient, empathic and fair

• Motivating and motivated

• Forward-thinking

How do leaders manage people, accounts and the office?

People: Ditto leaders know their teammates and take time to get to know them. Building trust is essential to a good professional relationship, especially at a small agency where transparency and honesty are pinnacles of our core values.

In practice: Leaders meet with teammates to set goals, work through challenges, discuss ideas and approaches, and talk about professional development and career growth. Whether the forum be a one-on-one meeting or simply taking a weekly walk and getting out of the office to talk and build a professional relationship. Everyone has support and a person at Ditto to work through things with.

Accounts: Ditto leaders know their accounts and clients front to back. They have strong professional and personal relationships with the client, and they have a calm and confident presence on the account. They explain strategy, assign out roles and motivate teams to perform at their best. They know what success looks like and how to achieve it. They also know when things could be going better before the client says something.

In practice: Ditto leaders are hands-on involved in new accounts to ensure the kick-off of the relationship goes smoothly, the account team is aligned and knows how to activate, and ultimately, understands the client’s objectives and our role in fulfilling those objectives. Once this sturdy foundation has been established, leaders empower teammates to fulfill their roles and collectively move the account forward. Leaders are always available to the team and communicate often with clients to continue growing the relationship.

Office: Ditto leaders are a positive presence and force in the office. Whether that be in-person or remote, their presence is palpable despite what’s going on at work and or in their personal lives. Leaders show-up for their teammates and help cultivate and balance an office culture of professionalism, fun and Ditto’s scrappy and hard-working mindset.

In practice: Between the hours of 9-5, Monday through Friday, they show-up to do their best work, be kind, supportive and motivating forces who lend a hand, offer wise words and simply be there for teammates during both the good and hard times.

How do Ditto leaders help others do their best work?

Teaching: Above all, leaders are in a position to teach others. Ditto leaders spend time with teammates to help them develop their knowledge and skills. They teach by doing and showing. Leaders have achieved a level of professional success to be able to still do the job and show teammates how to do it in the right way.

In practice: Letting teammates observe or shadow your work. Walk teammates through the process of a task you did that you’re proud of or a client really liked. Taking time to reflect on quality work and talk about it with others will help others see what good work looks like and how they can accomplish this work themselves.

Motivating: Ditto leaders encourage teammates to not only do their best work but take pride in doing it. Leaders constantly communicate with teammates in a way that maintains a high level of morale, gives direction and helps them strive for excellence.

In practice: Meeting often with teammates one-on-one or in a group setting to offer words of encouragement, feedback and guidance.

Accountability: Ditto leaders exercise accountability by first establishing a strong foundation from the onset of an account. This is done by showing teammates examples of what good work looks like and how to do it, what the cadence of an account should be, how to work effectively within a deadline and how to control your time.

In practice: Once objectives are understood and expectations are set, leaders hold themselves and teammates accountable by measuring if work was completed in the proper or right way within the given timeline.