Highlights of an Interview with Terry Jackson  

Terry Jackson is a certified executive coach through the Center for Executive Coaching.  He’s also a Marshall Goldsmith 100 coach and Chief Operating Officer of the Jackson Consulting Group in Wilmington, NC. Mr. Jackson holds a Ph.D. degree in Leadership and Organizational Change.

Bay Area Executive Coach’s Michael Neuendorff recently spoke with Terry to get his thoughts on where business leaders should focus their attentions and efforts as we head deeper into 2021. Here are some highlights from that interview.

Michael Neuendorff:  So, it’s still early in the year and I believe we be hopeful and optimistic that it’s going to be a better year ahead.  Where do you think leaders should focus their attention right now?

Terry Jackson: That’s an excellent question because many corporate leaders don’t exactly know what to do right now. The smart leaders are understanding the needs of the marketplace, understanding the needs of their employees. Listening and delivering.

Communication and empathy are what’s actually needed as we talk about what leaders need [to focus on] at this point. We understand the street is calling for the numbers, right? Companies have got to perform, right? But how do you get your people to perform from an empathetic perspective? You do it by showing them that you are as human as they are.

One of the questions I’ve been asking since COVID started is: how do we help human beings become more human? Because our challenge is to understand that the next person is just like you or me. Regardless of the hue of our skin, regardless of gender, we all want the same things out of life, for ourselves and for our families.

So, how do we look at each other as human? One of the things I did for the leadership of this health care organization we consulted with is to tell them that when they walk through the front door, everyone should remove their title. Don’t view each other based upon titles, because it creates a level of superiority or inferiority. Look at each other as equals. Let’s be able to gain knowledge from each other. And let’s utilize that knowledge for the greater good of humanity and for the greater good of the organization. If we do that, then we’re always going to do what’s right. Leadership is about doing what’s right to drive the desired result.

Michael Neuendorff:  What’s your outlook for Q2 and the rest of 2021?

Terry Jackson: I think we’re going to bounce back with some new type of leaders, because even with the hardships, there were lots of opportunities that were created during COVID.  Look at all the PPP companies that came up.  And look at all the support systems that grew around them. So, while many of the older businesses suffered, and suffered a lot, there were new opportunities created for brand new types of businesses.

And we’re going to continue to create and we’re going to continue to innovate because  “iron needs to sharpen iron.” That only happens through the action of human beings who understand and realize that every person in the organization has value. All things considered, I think that the US is going to be in a perfect place to create and innovate in 2021.

We’ve grown a lot in the past year. We learned about ourselves. We’ve confronted and recognized some important social issues, and we’ve seen how those social issues affect  business issues. You can’t separate one from the other when you see everything from a systems perspective.

There are people who specialize in products, processes, performance measurement, and profit earning. But it’s only in co-development that you actually become an organization.  We can talk about technology, but it’s people who create technology, right? We need to remember that the greatest, greatest technology lies between our ears.

I think that the United States got a good look at itself with all the events of 2020, and I think there will be more and more leaders who will develop differently, and I think that we’ll be OK. I believe that we’ll bounce back even stronger.

Michael Neuendorff:  Wonderful. Amen. I believe that, too. I really do. It’s been a tumultuous year of growth and change, and also one of hurt and heartache. But I think that growth and change in challenging, painful, times can bring about positive, lasting results.

Terry Jackson: That’s right. Absolutely.

If you would like to see the full interview with Terry Jackson, click here to see it on our YouTube channel.