Building Strong Teams with Jessica Lewis
When our President and CEO, Jessica Lewis, founded LáLew in 2016, it was a one-woman-operated business. It stayed this way for a few years until Jessica decided it was time to start building the LáLew team. Her first step: starting an internship program, where she offers hands-on experience for students interested in PR and related fields. As her business grew, Jessica also expanded the team by hiring account managers and a Chief Operating Officer.
Over the years, Jessica has learned a lot about team-building, leadership and the best practices for forming a strong, successful group. Below, we share Jessica’s top 5 tips for building a strong team of your own.
1. Find people with the right skills
Depending on the industry, different skill sets are required for success. Identifying what skills are necessary for your team and hiring accordingly will ensure that capable people are working toward the team’s shared goals.
2. Prioritize training moments
Always remain a student of your craft. The LáLew team has held many professional and personal development trainings facilitated by experts across many fields in order to keep our skills sharp and continue to learn. We recognize there is always something new to learn, and training moments help keep our team strong.
3. Lead with a spirit of continuous improvement
Never stop growing. A team should always be climbing, always trying to fulfill the next goal. As a leader, Jessica wants her team members to share this sentiment and know that the team strives towards improvement all together.
4. Empower team members
Empower those who work with you; Jessica wants her team members to feel confident, supported and capable. Team members should know that their leader trusts them and feels confident that they can do the work at hand.
5. Remember that “every L is a lesson learned”
Even if something doesn’t go your way, there is always a lesson that will equip you to do better next time. As a leader, Jessica wants her team to be able to learn from any mishaps and use them as a way to improve themselves and their team.
Jessica’s key takeaway for leaders and team members alike is to “always remain a student of your craft.” There is always something new to discover, which is why LáLew prioritizes opportunities to learn and grow. Jessica’s tips all contribute to her impactful leadership which results in LáLew’s strong team culture of working toward a shared goal.
Thank you, Jessica, for your thoughtful insights and leadership!
