Named among the 50 most powerful people in Canadian Business in 2017, Kathleen (Katie) Taylor delivered the keynote address during the OWA Champagne Breakfast held at Vision Expo East.
In a fireside chat format moderated by Sue Downes, CEO of MyEyeDr., Ms. Taylor shared her insights into leadership, creating a network of supporters, and handling disruption gleaned from her 24-year career with the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts where she was the former President and Chief Executive Officer.
Chair of the Board of the Royal Bank of Canada since 2001, Ms. Taylor has received numerous accolades for business achievements and was also instrumental in building the brand property portfolio of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
Ms. Taylor shared powerful takeaways for leaders and aspiring leaders with the sold-out crowd — the OWA's best-attended Champagne Breakfast to date. Here we share 4 of our favorite tips + a few video snippets from her talk:
Be authentic and your best self.
"There is no substitute for authentic leadership." Showing up real and being your best self is what creates support, engagement, and belief in your leadership. Finding yourself is a journey, especially for women in industries where role models have been hard to come by, and one that flows from work to home and family life.
Remember the power of relationships.
Take the time to invest in people and stay connected to them. Network and build bridges whenever you have the opportunity. Life (and careers) can be long and you never know when the relationships you create along the way will play a role in your future. In the OWA spirit of #DoMore, Ms. Taylor later encouraged being a mentor, a sponsor, and a role model: "Help develop the next generation and give back."
Handle disrupters.
You can't always anticipate disruptors or see them coming, but you can adapt. When disruption occurs, look at the proven strategies you already have and build on them so your brand can not only meet but exceed expectations. Later in her remarks, Ms. Taylor advised approaching change with your customer in mind. If the end result of that change doesn't make the experience of the customer better, it may not be something that fulfills its purpose.
Listen to how Ms. Taylor meets disruption here.
Lead with your values.
Demonstrate to others the you are genuinely committed to them not through words, but by actions driven by your true beliefs. Leading with your values will infuse the power of your leadership and engender them to follow you.
Hear more from Ms. Taylor on authenticity, relationships and values here.
Back to: May 2019 : President's Letter