Teamwork: Adapting Your Strength

Playing hockey with men is easier actually in some ways. I think when you’re dealing with guys – guys just typically want to know what to do and then I am going to go do it. They are very task oriented and just get the job done. For me it was all about proving myself, once I did that I was always fine on any team that I played for. When you play with women I think women tend to want to know why – they ask a lot of questions, they’re very attentive, good listeners, really keen to do it right and definitely pay more attention to the little details. So it is a different feel, you can’t lead as abruptly with women as you can with men, especially with my experience in hockey - So it makes the two very different in terms of the style that you have as a leader.

Well off the ice I think it’s really no different, obviously in business you don’t have the element of the physical, competitive nature so that changes the dynamic a bit, but you still have to deal with both male and female personalities and egos. You’ve got to mix the two together and I think the best working atmosphere tends to be a mix of male and female and just a nice vibe that way. I think ultimately whether you’re dealing with men or with women people really appreciate you when you’re authentic, when you’re honest, when you’re upfront and when you do what you say and mean what you say – that’s tended to be my experience anyways.

I think it’s a good way to describe leadership as an art because I don’t think there’s one, single way to lead. I think every person has their own strengths and weaknesses and within that you have to figure out what works for you and what helps you connect with other people. So that’s really where the art comes into it in terms of finding that knish for yourself as a leader and then I think leadership is constantly evolving thing every day. I know if I learn a little more about leadership or you meet people with different styles of leadership and say okay, maybe I’ll take that and use that and as you grow and change as a person; your effective leadership ultimately changes as well so it is always a constant flowing thing.