Johnathan and Melissa Nightingale are the co-founders of Raw Signal Group, a B Corp-certified, Toronto-based business dedicated to helping businesses improve their leadership. Their experience in the tech industry inspired them to help founders sharpen and improve their management skills. Among their many guiding principles, Johnathan and Melissa believe that “the measure of a leader is the excellence of their team.” So, how do you keep talent invested, engaged and fulfilled? What flaws in your current management style are holding your team back? Johnathan and Melissa answer questions like these, and many more, through their work.

In today’s episode, Johnathan and Melissa join us to discuss why leadership isn’t something you are born with, and how being honest about your work environment is important. They also tell us more about how the shift to remote work has only made management skills even more important. And they walk us through why they approach their work with a refreshing, curse-word-filled attitude.

Plug into this episode if…

1. You want to learn more about the difference between a stereotypical leader and a team-oriented manager.
2. You want to hear honest thoughts on how management styles need to improve.
3. You want to get insights into how workplaces can make changes inspired by the shift to remote work.

Resources:

Raw Signal Group Newsletter

Episode highlights

Remote work has changed things

• Companies have felt a more urgent need to re-assess their workplace structure and culture during the pandemic.
• For managers who were already making strides and keeping employees’ needs in mind, the remote shift opened up doors to finding new talent. But for management that had flaws, it was an especially challenging time.
• While some companies are saying the issue is on the talent side, the problem might be with management and the workplace.

Leaders aren’t born

• Many higher-level positions came from promotions, which often don’t include training on how to manage teams. Leaders aren’t born with these skills.
• Becoming a good leader doesn’t have to be complicated — it’s more about learning the right ways to make day-to-day actions, like one-on-ones and team meetings, more effective.
• If leaders want to improve their management style long-term, they can start soaking in guidance from podcasts, books, newsletters, and more.

Employer branding requires being genuine

• As the “Great Resignation” takes place, companies can feel like they need to be incredibly impactful and purposeful in order to attract and retain employees.
• However, not every company needs to be curing cancer or saving the world. Employees are happy to belong to an encouraging team, earn a fair paycheque, and have work-life balance.
• Becoming a great employer or leader isn’t about sugarcoating work or marketing yourself inauthentically. It’s about bringing your strengths to the surface and working with those.

“We said, ‘Look, if the problem is that bosses have not been given any of the foundational skills or tools, and that is resulting in toxic workplaces because they are under-equipped, we can equip them. If the fundamental challenge here is that these are businesses that either should not exist in the world or leaders who should not lead in the world, then that's a different problem.’” - Melissa

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