Leaders have a tremendous influence on their direct reports, and one of the most critical areas for leadership success is being able to give honest feedback: praise when it’s deserved and coaching in the moment.

As we look at our 2020 goals and our transition from a startup to a mid-sized high growth organization, maintaining our culture, sustaining employee engagement and retention has been top of mind for me.

As we get into the holiday season, I have been pondering about gratitude as a leadership trait.

As we prepare for 2020 and beyond, I have been thinking about some of the questions that have a general underlying theme: as deServing leaders, our primary focus should be on building our culture and supporting our employees, and that should supersede any financial or budgetary aspirations of the firm.

In my last blog, accountability vs. deServing Leadership, I mentioned that the primary difference when looking at accountability from a servitude filter vs. the generally accepted norms of accountability can be summed up in one word — Blame.

One of EVENTEQ’s core values is Accountability. We define it as, “We take ownership of our actions and results by honoring our promises, commitments & decisions — while understanding our roles and responsibilities.”

For the past few years, I have attempted to effectively narrate my fundamental beliefs in , leadership and emotional intelligence, and more importantly, understand how they relate to each other.