Ruth Skocic had seen enough.
As a social services director, she witnessed needless tragedies due to lack of medical information in emergencies. Her frustration turned into My LifePlan Inc., a medical information technology company giving first responders and health care providers vital information.
In growing My LifePlan, Skocic realized entrepreneurs can’t build a company alone. She collaborates and bounces ideas off her seven employees, a number she expects to grow to 40 by early 2011.
“You have to respect them for all of what they bring,” says the founder, chairman and CEO.
Smart Business spoke with Skocic about employee relationships.
What are the keys to being a good leader?
One of the things I had to learn to be a good leader myself was patience. Nobody likes to have that.
Another part about being a good leader is learning to accept the people who work with you and the people around you for who they are and what they bring to the table. Don’t put expectations on employees that you know don’t fit their role.
If I see potential and expectations for others who work for me, I will push that on them. I will push them to the point where they’ll say, ‘What is this lady doing?’ And the next thing you know, they realize they just created this incredible task and got it accomplished. They’re like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I just did that — that was amazing.’
It’s really to know the people who are working for you, because I have to work for them, too. They have to trust in me and count on me, day in and day out, to help them become a better person at their job, too.
How do you communicate to employees that you recognize potential and are increasing expectations?
I sit down with them and tell them I believe they have the capability to do a certain project and the rest of the team is here to help guide them and encourage them to take the challenge.
How do you make sure you don’t put unfair expectations on employees?
Again, watching, observing, taking chances on someone to excel in a challenge. If this person doesn’t meet the particular challenge, change what challenges you give them until they reach a potential you both can work with.
