Leader Of Learning Podcast Episode 6: Lead From The Heart with Mark C. Crowley

Show Notes:

Mark Crowley @MarkCCrowley, author of “Lead From The Heart,” joined me to discuss his experiences as a leader, his views on transformational leadership, and, of course, how to lead from the heart.

Mark C. Crowley spent over 20 years in the dog-eat-dog world of financial services, an environment known for its heartlessness and “take no prisoners” attitude.

Twice, he held national-level responsibilities – most recently as Senior Vice President-National Manager for Investment Product Sales at one of America’s largest financial institutions, where he was named “Leader of the Year.”

What he ultimately discovered is that his chosen management style was highly uncommon, yet extraordinarily productive. His teams consistently excelled. When asked what he was doing differently, Mark replied, “It’s the same disciplined approach others have with numbers and production…but mine is with people. You could say I manage the emotional side of work. I intentionally make people feel valued. I identify their raw talents and seek ways to further develop them. I express my deep belief in them, proactively teach them skills and make a deliberate point of honoring and recognizing all their achievements.” As a result, Mark’s people consistently scaled mountains for him. Intrigued by their unwavering achievements, Mark decided to leave the financial services world and attempt to answer the question:

“What happens inside of people to make them so committed to doing extraordinary work?”

His remarkable research led to the publication of his first book, Lead From The Heart, and his work as a speaker and consultant for organizations seeking to achieve and sustain uncommonly high engagement and performance.

Our traditional belief in business management is that leading with any amount of “heart” is a dead-on-arrival strategy. We’ve been conditioned to believe its inherently soft, weak and undermining to profitability. But in a book that directly refutes conventional thinking, Mark proves that leading with a balance of both mind and heart has become essential to organizational success.

Mark’s book:

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Mark’s Website: