Managing Up: What Executive Assistants Know That Most Leaders Don't – Basil Read

The conventional approach to organizational development trains only a few select managers or directors. In this episode, Sharna asks Dr. Basil Read about an alternative approach taken at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), where he designed a multi-level leadership development curriculum for all employees, from top to bottom. Basil shares the impressive results of the initiative as well as key insights from his own research on the influence of Executive Assistants on decision-making.

Basil is a retired US Navy Captain, Consultant and a Professor of Practice in Troy University’s PhD in global leadership program. 

You'll learn:

• How the FDIC went from the bottom to the top on employee satisfaction metrics
• Why it’s essential for all employees to have a meaningful voice in the work being done
• How executive assistants influence decision-making by executives and boards through language, gatekeeping, prioritization, and emphasis.
• How to understand leading and following skills as a collaborative process independent of rank or title

Episode References 

J. Basil Read, III, “Followership at the FDIC: A Case Study”
https://www.emerald.com/jole/article-pdf/13/4/136/10069009/v13_i4_c14.pdf

Ira Chaleff, The Courageous Follower
https://irachaleffauthor.com/

Connect with Basil Read
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-basil-read-iii-ph-d-a1274b23/