How Liz Bentley Helps Leaders Thrive in Uncertain Times

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In today’s relentless work climate, leaders grapple with unprecedented challenges, from navigating the complexities of hybrid work environments to maintaining team cohesion across digital divides. Liz Bentley, a master of leadership development and executive coaching, confronts these pressing issues head-on. In this riveting Q&A, she unpacks how leaders often feel adrift, struggling to connect with their teams and manage effectively from afar. With her expert guidance, Liz crafts a lifeline of strategies and insights, enabling leaders to transform these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

“The best thing that comes out of my leadership seminars are the blind spots that we uncover, the open communication, and the confidence. Seeing leaders try something new and level themselves up and their business is what makes this all worth it. I have clients that have doubled their business revenue, cultivated teams with a culture of feedback, and taken the next steps in their careers all from a leadership seminar.”

How has the transition from traditional to remote or hybrid leadership models impacted the way leaders should approach team management and motivation?

“I was recently on CBS News New York with Mary Calvin talking about this. A new study by Live Data Technologies showed that remote workers are promoted 31% less than those in office. There’s been a widespread acceptance of remote work but there is a prevailing trend where those physically present in the office tend to receive greater recognition. This can be extremely difficult for a leader to navigate, especially with a hybrid schedule or if the team has flexibility to decide on their own. It’s important to have active involvement and explore various avenues to stay connected with every single member of your team.”

In your experience, what are the key traits that distinguish a good leader from a great one in the context of organizational growth and culture development?

“A great leader has a high level of emotional intelligence with the ability to strategically give feedback and receive it without becoming defensive. Emotional intelligence allows us to communicate clearly and be able to listen and understand ourselves and others. A great leader also values people—people matter and it’s important to understand different personalities. At the core of our lives are relationships, and understanding people better, including ourselves, can have a dramatic impact on productivity.”

Building High-Performance Teams

How can organizations effectively identify and nurture high-potential employees to take on leadership roles?

“Most organizations need support training, nurturing, and promoting the next guard. We offer leadership training seminars and coaching specifically for this purpose. These high-potential employees now need to level up even further by leveraging their signature presence, enhancing their emotional intelligence and expanding their mindsets with a more strategic vision for the future. Organizations need to effectively inspire them to step out of their comfort zones. There is a new set of leadership and management skills they’ll have to learn such as navigating difficult conversations, delegation, and giving and receiving feedback. We offer leadership seminar series and individualized coaching to help organizations with this.”

In what ways can leaders leverage diversity and inclusion to enhance team performance and innovation?

“This all goes back to understanding people and having a high level of emotional intelligence. People bring different perspectives to our lives. Here, we explore the Imprinting Years. These are the first 10 years of life where those experiences make up our story from our origins, geography, beliefs, family, appearance, intelligence, talents, personality, and strengths and weaknesses. Understanding the people on your team will only enhance performance and innovation. Empathy connects us. Judgment and sympathy divide us.”

What role does feedback play in sustaining high performance, and how can leaders implement it effectively?

“Feedback is vital in sustaining high performance. Getting feedback gives us new perspectives on problem solving, collaboration, and process. Being open to feedback instead of being defensive allows us to get more and teams to work better together. Giving feedback helps us share opinions and strategies that others may not have realized. Knowing how to give and receive feedback effectively helps connectivity and innovation. Giving and getting feedback can be scary—we have services such as training, seminars, and speeches dedicated fully to feedback because people are so scared of it! Once you can expand beyond what’s holding you back, you will see more successful outcomes both in your team and yourself as a leader.”

How does team coaching differ from individual coaching, and what are its unique benefits in building cohesive teams?

For teams to strive for high performance, they need to function with fluidity, working off of each other’s strengths and mitigating their weaknesses. You’re only as strong as your weakest link. The ability to be a good team player is not always innate. In Team Coaching, people will learn how to function in their role to become a valuable asset to the group. Here you create shared goals and visions, give support where needed, give feedback effectively, share opinions, and take risks. Individual coaching offers a more customized program for that particular person based off their own goals for growth. Both are hugely important to building cohesive teams. We often will do team coaching sessions supplemented with 1v1 coaching sessions in between to really dive deep and create change.”

What role do retreats play in fostering innovation and strategic thinking among leadership teams?

“Team Retreats set the stage for growth by providing an opportunity to spend time together outside of the usual work environment to align your vision, create strategies, and get to know each other better! Retreats should always be a key part of strategic planning for the future of your business. Here, we like to cover topics such as “Creating an Environment of Excellence”, “Be a High Functioning Team’, and “Strategic Planning”. Teams typically feel a sense of letting their guard down a bit on retreats that allows for creative brainstorming, innovative thinking, building goals, and boosting morale.”