“Conflict is inevitable. How we handle it separates great leaders from the rest.” - Valerie Cockerell

Episode Highlights

00:01:34 - Dealing with Conflict as a Mom

00:03:15 - Creating Common Ground

00:05:53 - Teaching Conflict Resolution  

00:06:40 - Cultural Differences in Conflict

00:15:21 - Conflict in the Workplace

00:16:38 - Finding Solutions

00:17:02 - Positive Conflict

Connect with Valerie:

Order the book – Manage Like a Mother

LinkedIn – Connect with Valerie

 Conflict

Through her own experiences raising three children and navigating the challenges of leadership roles, Valerie Cockerell learned the importance of effectively managing conflict to create a harmonious environment. Some days her children would go from being best friends to fierce rivals. She quickly realized the need to step in and separate them to diffuse the situation.

As a leader, Valerie applied the same principle in the workplace. She recognizes the importance of giving people time and space to calm their emotions before addressing conflicts. Strong leaders also recognize when they need to stay out of conflict. One creative tactic Valerie used with her children to encourage them to resolve their conflicts independently was linking their weekly allowance to their behavior. She motivated them to work towards a common goal of maintaining peace in the household. Leaders should also work to find ways to motivate employees toward a common goal to maintain a positive work culture.

Valerie's relatable stories and insights highlight the significance of conflict management in personal and professional settings, and provide valuable lessons for mothers seeking to enhance their leadership skills.

Valerie's book is filled with relatable stories and practical takeaways for aspiring and existing leaders. This is such a unique look into leadership that provides moms and those with many lessons from their mom, clarity and inspiration in the complex world of leadership.

“It is hard if you come to the table with just one set of tools. By bringing diversity and embracing diversity, you are bringing more tools to your toolbox. - Valerie Cockerell

Episode Highlights

00:01:46 - Valerie's Perspective on Diversity

00:04:33 - Diversity at Disney

00:05:48 - Stereotypes and Cultural Differences

00:09:40 - Overcoming Us vs. Them Mentality

00:13:42 - Perceiving Discrimination

00:14:35 - Challenging Assumptions

00:17:37 - Teaching Children the Value of Diversity

00:18:08 - Overcoming Workplace Exclusion

00:27:39 - The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace

00:30:19 - Embracing Individuality in the Workplace

00:32:02 - Purposeful Leadership and Unconscious Bias

Connect with Valerie:

Order the book – Manage Like a Mother

LinkedIn – Connect with Valerie

Diversity

From a young age, Valerie had a strong curiosity and desire to explore the world. She felt that there is so much to learn from different people and their unique perspectives. This curiosity led her to move to London at the age of 16 to learn English. Eventually that opened doors for her career with Disney and her journey to the US.

For Valerie, diversity is not something to shy away from, but rather a magnetic force that draws her in. She believes that embracing diversity and engaging with people from different backgrounds and cultures brings a wealth of knowledge and tools to the table. In her new book, Manage Like a Mother, Valerie dedicates an entire chapter to diversity and inclusion, emphasizing the importance of diverse teams in navigating the complexity of the modern world.

Make sure to listen to this episode on diversity. Her personal experiences and learnings inspire many, including managers and leaders, to create more inclusive and innovative teams.

Valerie's book is filled with relatable stories and practical takeaways for aspiring and existing leaders. This is such a unique look into leadership that provides moms and those with many lessons from their mom, clarity and inspiration in the complex world of leadership.

Make it genuine and make it immediate, otherwise one day they're going to find happiness somewhere else when they're being appreciated for what they do. - Valerie Cockerell

Episode Highlights

00:01:27 - Generosity in Recognition

00:03:57 - Effort vs Result

00:05:06 - Specificity in Recognition

00:07:22 - Building a Habit of Recognition

00:14:41 - The Importance of Feedback in Relationships

00:15:41 - The Goldilocks Paradox in Feedback

00:16:50 - The Value of Practicing Feedback

00:17:21 - Recognition and Feedback as Tools for Improvement

Connect with Valerie:

Order the book – Manage Like a Mother

LinkedIn – Connect with Valerie

Recognition and Feedback

As a French mom, Valerie initially found herself navigating the cultural differences in recognition and feedback practices when she moved to the United States. She discovered that Americans were more generous with praise and recognition, a concept that was not as natural for her. However, Valerie soon realized the impact of recognizing and encouraging others, especially when it was done selectively and specifically tied to behaviors.

She learned that recognition shouldn't be reserved only for exceptional achievements, but also for efforts and progress. Valerie also recognized the importance of timely feedback, drawing inspiration from how mothers provide feedback to their children on a daily basis. By giving immediate and constructive feedback, moms ensure that behavior corrections happen promptly and effectively. Valerie's personal experience as a mother and a leader has taught her the value of recognition and feedback in building strong relationships and fostering growth within a team. strategies for leaders in need of improving their recognition and feedback skills.

Listen to this episode of Manage Like a Mother to hear valuable strategies for leaders in need of improving their recognition and feedback skills..

Valerie's book is filled with relatable stories and practical takeaways for aspiring and existing leaders. This is such a unique look into leadership that provides moms and those with many lessons from their mom, clarity and inspiration in the complex world of leadership.

Having clarity on your values is important as both a leader and a parent. It's the glue that keeps your family, your team, your organization, your community together. - Valerie Cockerell

Episode Highlights

00:00:41 - The Importance of Values

00:03:56 - Behaviors Reflecting Values

00:06:32 - Alignment of Values in the Workplace

00:09:38 - Misalignment and Finding the Right Fit

00:14:19 - The Importance of Alignment and Values

00:15:23 - The Power of Clarity

00:15:54 - Key Takeaway - Be Purposeful and Clear

Connect with Valerie:

Order the book – Manage Like a Mother

LinkedIn – Connect with Valerie

Values

Valerie Cockerell has always been passionate about aligning her personal and professional values. Throughout her journey as a leader and a mother, she discovered the importance of defining and communicating values, both within her family and in the workplace.

For Valerie, this realization came naturally as she reflected on what mattered most to her and what she wanted to pass on to her children. She believes that clarity and alignment of values serve as the foundation for a strong culture, whether it's within a family or an organization. Through her own experiences, Valerie emphasizes the significance of purposefully defining values and aligning behaviors to support them. By doing so, leaders and professionals can create an authentic and successful environment where individuals can thrive and relationships can flourish.

Listen to this episode of Manage Like a Mother to learn more about how you can align your personal and professional values for greater clarity and success.

Valerie's book is filled with relatable stories and practical takeaways for aspiring and existing leaders. This is such a unique look into leadership that provides moms and those with many lessons from their mom, clarity and inspiration in the complex world of leadership.

“Onboarding is about making a first impression. It's a telltale of how much care you put in your people. If you don't invest in onboarding, it foreshadows how little you value your employees. - Valerie Cockerell

Episode Highlights

00:00:30 - Importance of Onboarding

00:02:33 - Elements of Good Onboarding

00:05:23 - Addressing New Hire Anxiety

00:09:01 - Duration of Onboarding

00:14:38 - Importance of Training and Learning Styles

00:15:44 - Training Framework and Treating Employees Professionally

00:16:42 - Reasons for Inadequate Employee Training

00:18:26 - The Role of Leaders in Employee Success

00:19:21 - Empowering Employees and Building Trust

Connect with Valerie:

Order the book – Manage Like a Mother

LinkedIn – Connect with Valerie

 Onboarding and Training

Valerie Cockerell’s unique perspective on leadership draws inspiration from the wisdom of motherhood. Her journey into exploring the importance of onboarding and training began when she became a mother herself. As she navigated the challenges of raising a child, Valerie realized the significance of creating a safe and comfortable environment for her baby. This realization led her to wonder: why don't organizations prioritize the same level of care when onboarding new employees?

Valerie's curiosity sparked a deep dive into the world of onboarding and training in professional environments. Through her research and personal experiences, she discovered the power of making a positive first impression and sustaining excitement during the onboarding process. Valerie's passion for helping leaders incorporate their mom's leadership lessons into their approach shines through as she shares practical insights and strategies for effective onboarding and training.

Listen to this episode of Manage Like a Mother as she explores how leaders can build loyalty and increase employee retention through thoughtful onboarding practices.

Valerie's book is filled with relatable stories and practical takeaways for aspiring and existing leaders. This is such a unique look into leadership that provides moms and those with many lessons from their mom, clarity and inspiration in the complex world of leadership.

“Do not ever, ever let your age or your circumstances or your gender or whatever dictate what you can and cannot do. If you have your mindset on it, you can make it happen.” - Valerie Cockerell

Episode Highlights

00:00:20 - Anna's Childhood"

00:00:59 - Anna's Resilience during COVID

00:01:25 - Anna's Independence

00:03:17 - Lesson from Anna

Order the book – Manage Like a Mother

LinkedIn – Connect with Valerie

Valerie shares a heartfelt story about the lessons she learned from her resilient and optimistic mother, Anna. Growing up in a humble family during World War II, Anna faced scarcity and danger, yet her spirit remained unbroken. Even in the face of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Anna took it upon herself to sew masks for her community.

One of the most impactful moments came when, at 72 years old and newly widowed, Anna decided to learn how to drive. Overcoming her initial lack of knowledge and relying on public transportation, she embraced independence and discovered a newfound freedom. Valerie admires her mother's determination and draws inspiration from her life lesson: never let age, circumstances, or gender dictate what you can achieve.

With the mindset to make things happen, anything is possible. Valerie cherishes this lesson and will carry it with her always. Anna's story serves as a reminder to overcome obstacles, find silver linings, and create a better future in the face of adversity.

Valerie's book is filled with relatable stories and practical takeaways for aspiring and existing leaders. This is such a unique look into leadership that provides moms and those with many lessons from their mom, clarity and inspiration in the complex world of leadership.

"The competencies required to be a great leader are not very different from the competencies a mother must have to raise her children to be the best they can be." - Valerie Cockerell

Throughout her years as a leader and mother, Valerie Cockerell has learned a number of lessons from people, including her own mom. So many that she wrote, "Manage Like a Mother: Leadership Lessons Drawn from the Wisdom of Mom." She wrote the book to help others learn how to incorporate their mom's leadership lessons into their own approach.

This first episode of the Manage Like a Mother podcast is a conversation with Valerie, where she explores a number of topics around leadership lessons from motherhood. Valerie shares her journey of writing a book on this subject, explaining how it was a challenging yet rewarding exercise. She emphasizes the importance of simplifying leadership and making it more accessible to young and struggling leaders.

Valerie's knowledge and stories do a great job demonstrating the parallels between what it takes to be a great leader and what is needed to be a successful mother. She has found that there are many similarities in training, support, feedback, conflict resolution, crisis management, and time management. She believes that everyone can benefit from these insights, regardless of whether they are mothers or have children.

Valerie's book is filled with relatable stories and practical takeaways for aspiring and existing leaders. This is such a unique look into leadership that provides moms and those with many lessons from their mom, clarity and inspiration in the complex world of leadership.

Order the book, Manage Like a Mother, here. 

Episode Highlights

00:00:06 - Introducing "Manage Like a Mother"
00:04:01 - The Importance of Consistency
00:05:35 - Not Just for Mothers
00:07:52 - What to Expect from the Book
00:15:24 - Men as Advocates for Women
00:15:42 - Stay-at-Home Moms and Leadership Skills
00:16:29 - Being an Ally or an Advocate
00:16:44 - Learning from a Mother's Playbook