Chris LoCurto

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The Leadership Spotlight continues this week with Suzanne Simms. Suzanne the Affiliate Relations VP and has been with The Dave Ramsey Show since September 2001.

She is responsible for leading a team whose shared focus is to grow The Dave Ramsey Show. They do this by developing relationships with the program decision makers in the world of talk radio (current and potential affiliates), keeping track of ratings in each market, networking with group owners on a national level, and super-serving the affiliate sales teams by teaching them how to sell Dave. In addition, Network Sales for The Dave Ramsey Show falls under her umbrella.

CLo: What is your role in leadership?

SS: To 1) cast a vision of where we are going, 2) set an example of how to go about accomplishing the goals that get us to the fulfillment of that vision and 3) to hold my teammates accountable for the standard of excellence that I know is expected of all of us that carry this brand here at this organization.  It is a privilege to be here.

CLo: What is the best advice you’ve ever received about leadership?

SS: You can’t motivate unmotivated people. Only hire motivated people. Ever. Period.

CLo: What is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?

SS: The entitlement attitude of a large segment of our population.  It spans multiple generations despite what some people think.  It influences the way people see their compensation and even more annoying to me, it warps the way they see their value to an organization and gives them an unrealistic sense of how quickly they might deserve recognition and decision-making power.

CLo: How do you continue to improve yourself as a leader?

SS: I read, I read, I read. And maybe most importantly, I’m attempting now more than ever to be intentional about spending time with people who will influence me to become a more solid leader and to grow in all areas of my life.  You become like the people you spend the most time with.

CLo: How do you invest in others?

SS: Quality time. Listening. I develop my relationship with each member of my team very differently. They are so different.  They are each at very different stages of professional growth and have different needs so if I were to attempt to mentor them all exactly the same, I would lose credibility with them immediately.

CLo: What was the last book you read?

SS: The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel and re-read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni and went through the study guide and group guide with my team and am reading currently The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins.

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  • Anonymous

    I really enjoy these leadership profiles. Good stuff. Thanks for sharing.