This woman changed my life in 1994. I was an absolutely miserable accountant, failing at every job I’d had, when I called my friend Deb Bennett. At that time, Deb was managing a region for Robert Half.
I had known Deb for about four years because we served on the board of a not-for-profit together. I rang her to ask who at Robert Half I should register with to do contract work, since I had finally decided to leave accounting, and hadn’t yet decided what to do with the rest of my life. She said, “I’ve been waiting four years to have that discussion with you. You don’t want to become a contractor. You want to become a recruiter.”
I had my doubts at the time but that turned into a fabulous 15-year career, which not only satisfied me professionally but it allowed me to move overseas, one of my top personal goals.
It also taught me some great lessons about leadership
Because this story isn’t about me. It’s about Deb and another wonderful woman named Peggy Page (now deceased).
Not only did these women change my life, but they also changed the lives of many others. Deb and Peggy built a team of people in the early to mid-90s that were not only highly functioning, extremely successful but also became good friends.
Many of us keep in touch to this day. Teams like that are extraordinary and require not only extraordinary leadership but also the ability to hire an extraordinary team, the sum of whose parts is greater than the individuals who comprise it.
So today I’d like to shout out not only Deb, now retired, and Peggy but also (in no particular order – and I know I’ll forget some of you), Curtis Ludwig, Stephen Konstans, Greg Konstans, Staci Livesay, Lynn Mazur, Carolyn Wright & Greg Pickens.
This picture was taken about a month ago when I saw Deb in Dallas – where it all began. The first office I worked in and then ran was in one of the buildings at the very left of the picture.
What was the best team you ever worked on? What made it so special?
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How Great Leaders Change Lives and Build Extraordinary Teams
Kim Seeling Smith
Kim Seeling Smith is an international speaker, trainer, coach, mentor and author on Career Management and Employee Retention issues. Through her company, Ignite Global, Kim helps organizations build healthy work environments and increase employee engagement and productivity in our digitally connected, globally oriented world.
Kim Seeling Smith
Kim Seeling Smith is an international speaker, trainer, coach, mentor and author on Career Management and Employee Retention issues. Through her company, Ignite Global, Kim helps organizations build healthy work environments and increase employee engagement and productivity in our digitally connected, globally oriented world.