#4. Today I'm learning from Areti Iles. She's the Head of Professional Services for Enterprise Applications at Telefonica Tech in the UK. Having started in technology with end-user organisations transitioned into consulting in 2016 and joined Telefonica Tech in 2021. She's active in her local user group community, and committed to helping others advance their career, especially women and people from underrepresented backgrounds.

Areti shares her unique perspective on leadership, broadening it beyond traditional constraints and emphasizing its multifaceted nature beyond just dealing with people. Her insights challenge conventional leadership notions, encouraging a broader understanding of what it truly means to lead.

🔑 KEY LESSONS

1. Broadened leadership definition: Leadership isn't just about managing a team—it's about influencing and inspiring, often without a formal title. Whether you're steering projects or guiding personal growth, leadership starts with yourself.
2. Empathy as a core characteristic: While managers might focus on task completion, true leaders invest in creating a supportive, nurturing environment. Empathy plays a crucial role in understanding your team's goals and helping them achieve them.
3. Diversity drives innovation: Surrounding yourself with diverse talents addresses potential blind spots, fostering better decision-making and innovation. This isn't just a buzzword—it's a strategic advantage.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 The challenge of uncommunicated expectations in promotions

00:38 Welcome to Practice Leading with Neil Benson

02:27 Definition of leadership beyond traditional roles

04:28 Differences between leaders and managers

07:06 The importance of empathy in leadership

13:49 Can missing leadership traits be complemented?

17:08 The role of diversity and inclusion in leadership

19:44 The adaptability of leaders to different personalities

21:58 Characteristics of a great leader

27:15 Remembering impactful leaders in personal life

31:46 Empowering employees to express career goals

34:29 Providing support for leaders and their wellbeing

🗺️ RESOURCES

• Areti Iles on LinkedIn
• Telefonica Tech on LinkedIn
• The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin

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🧪 PRACTICE LEADING LAB FOR EMERGING LEADERS

#3. Ben Vollmer is a Senior Vice President at RSM US responsible for growing their Power Factory offering. He is probably best known in the Microsoft community as the former global director of Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Field Service business. Ben’s a prolific presenter at Microsoft conferences with a reputation for helping partners level up their pricing and delivery models.

Ben and I have a fascinating discussion about the evolution of pricing and how Microsoft partners and customers might exchange value. Traditionally, partners have delivered services and charged based a timesheet and a rate card. How is that model changing?

One option we discuss is outcome-based pricing, but do customers really want outcome-based pricing? There are challenges here too.

We also pull apart the user-story point estimation and pricing approach that Superware uses.

And, we ask whether blended teams are necessary for success and how customers should eventually assume full ownership of the applications partners build.

KEY LESSONS

1. The Evolution of Pricing Models. The conversation delves into the shift from traditional time-based pricing to outcome-based pricing and other innovative pricing models. Ben offers a deep dive into how pricing can both reflect and drive a company's culture and strategy. While value-based pricing presents opportunities, implementing it successfully remains a challenge.
2. Empowering Customers. Ben emphasizes the importance of customer empowerment and enablement. He suggests that partners need to focus on training and ensuring clients have the knowledge to manage applications independently post-deployment. As Neil Benson notes, building empowerment capabilities could be a key area of growth for Superware, aligning with the need for blended teams and client self-sufficiency.
3. Focusing on Micro Verticals. Ben advises honing in on micro vertical segments — niche markets where tailored solutions can bring significant value. This focus allows for streamlined implementations, enhancing client satisfaction and business predictability.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 The end of traditional agile waterfall methodologies

00:33 Introduction to Practice Leading and Ben Vollmer

02:25 Evolution of pricing models in Microsoft partnerships

02:43 How pricing drives a Microsoft partner's culture

05:07 Pricing strategy for ISVs and services

06:32 The shift from implementation to enablement and managed services

08:05 Challenges with outcome-based pricing

11:48 Discussing pricing methods tied to customer value

15:48 Importance of blended teams and customer ownership

18:16 Micro vertical expertise and predictable revenue for partners

24:17 Necessity of enablement and training in service models

30:35 Final thoughts on pricing and practice growth strategies

RESOURCES

• Ben Vollmer on LinkedIn
• RSM US on LinkedIn

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#02. Today I'm learning from Joel Lindstrom. Joel is a senior director at Hitachi Solutions America, where he oversees the Power Platform, Low-Code and Automation team. Before joining the Microsoft channel as a solution architect with Customer Effective, Joel sold office equipment. Customer Effective was acquired by Hitachi Solutions seven years later, and Joel has been building his career there for over a decade. Joel has a long history with the Microsoft MVP program and he also played a pivotal role in giving Neil a break in podcasting back in 2017.

KEY LESSONS

1. Defining Leadership Goals: Joel emphasizes the importance of understanding why you want to be a leader. It's not just about the impressive title or the increased salary; it's about embracing the additional responsibilities and making a positive impact on your team.
2. Managing Yourself First: Before taking on a leadership role, Joel advises assessing your personal habits and time management skills. Can you manage your own mindset and health effectively? These are crucial skills for managing a team.
3. Empowering Your Team: One of Joel's greatest joys in leadership is seeing his team members succeed. He believes in the power of nurturing talent and celebrating the achievements of others, even if it means they surpass him in rank.
4. Monday Morning Updates: Joel shares a practice of sending out Monday morning messages to his team, acknowledging successes and setting priorities for the week. It's a simple yet effective way to maintain team cohesion and focus.
5. Continuous Learning: While Joel values keeping technical certifications current, he acknowledges that every leader can show commitment to continuous learning in their own way. It's about setting a strong example for your team.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Joel on managing a project vs. a team

00:46 Introduction to Practice Leading and guest Joel Lindstrom

01:46 Joel Lindstrom's career journey

03:22 Finding your 'why' in leadership

06:57 Challenges in transitioning to leadership

07:21 The joys of leadership

10:07 Recognizing team achievements

14:03 Managing yourself before managing others

18:13 Handling an unpredictable schedule as a leader

22:50 Strategies for balancing meetings and deep work

26:41 The importance of self-management

28:23 The role of certifications for leaders

RESOURCES

• Joel Lindstrom on LinkedIn
• Hitachi Solutions America on LinkedIn
• Punish By Rewards by Alfie Kohn
• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

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🟦

#1. Mohamed Mostafa is the founder and managing director of TechLabs London, the company behind iProperty Cloud, the housing management platform build on the Microsoft cloud. He has been recognised as a Microsoft MVP since 2016, a Microsoft FastTrack Solution Architect, and holds an MBA from Henley Business School.

KEY LESSONS

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In our discussion, Mohamed shared some invaluable insights and strategies on building a successful team and a thriving business culture. Here are three key takeaways:

1. Embrace Diversity in Hiring: Mohamed emphasized the importance of moving beyond hiring clones. A rich mix of backgrounds, experiences, and skills not only enriches the workplace but also significantly improves business delivery. He advocates for a hiring process blind to ethnicity, religion, and personal background, focusing instead on cultural fit and qualification.
2. Invest in Apprenticeships: TechLabs London places high value on apprenticeships, bringing in young recruits and training them in technology and consultancy. This approach not only nurtures talent but provides fresh perspectives. While apprentices often move on to other Microsoft partners, their contribution during their tenure is invaluable.
3. Foster a Dynamic Work Culture: TechLabs London has done away with strict hierarchies and promotes a fluid structure where employees can engage in multiple roles and projects. This "holacracy" structure, along with cross-departmental collaboration, ensures a vibrant work environment where innovation thrives.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 How hiring similar backgrounds limits diversity

00:31 Introduction to Practice Leading Podcast

03:24 Importance of people in consulting businesses

05:01 Creating a positive work environment

08:40 Implementing holacracy at TechLabs London

11:49 Benefits of diverse roles in teams

14:48 Innovative hiring strategies

17:15 Hiring industry experts and apprentices

20:23 Challenges and benefits of hiring apprentices

23:06 Strategies for unbiased recruitment

30:23 Gathering industry expertise for product development

36:19 Mohamed's key interview question for cultural fit

RESOURCES

• TechLabs London website
• TechLabs London on LinkedIn
• iProperty Cloud website
• Mohamed Mostafa on LinkedIn
• Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace by Ricardo Semler
• Holacracy: The New Management System for a Rapidly Changing World by Brian J. Robertson

Welcome to Practice Leading, the show for emerging and curious practice leaders of Microsoft partner businesses.

I’m Neil Benson and, if you’re anything like me with an unquenchable curiosity and zero tolerance for BS, you’ve come to the right place.

Together we’ll learn from innovators and investors, executives and entrepreneurs, and business leaders and business coaches that have already left their stamp on the world and those that are exploring new and smarter ways building their businesses. Whether it’s ground-breaking innovations, hiring high-performing teams, or the sheer force of will to disrupt our industry, each episode is a masterclass from the trailblazers who have achieved significant success.

Find Practice Leading on YouTube, or at practiceleading.com, and learn from the mentors you wish you had earlier in your career.