Episode 80: Patty Beard, VP of Leadership Development

By December 19, 2015Blog, Leadership, Podcast

This episode comes to you from our interview series, in which I interview great leaders and try to extract their best leadership practices. I had the privilege of interview Patty Beard, Vice President, Leadership & Organizational Development at Dick’s Sporting Goods, a company that consists of over 37,000 employees! She has been in leadership development throughout her entire career, both at Dick’s and GE. I enjoyed my conversation so much with Patty that I asked her to speak at an upcoming Learning to Lead breakfast. I know you’ll love this interview. Below you’ll find Patty’s bio, ways to connect with her, and more. Enjoy the interview.

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Episode #80: Interview with Patty Beard
Episode #80- Patty Beard, VP of Leadership &Organizational Leadership at Dick's Sporting Goods

Patty’s Bio:

Highly accomplished Learning & OD leader with a comprehensive background that includes over 15 years of domestic & international experience in HR/Organizational Development supporting business strategies through the successful application of performance development, training and facilitation, project management, internal consulting, coaching and Six Sigma quality improvement methodologies. Recognized as an accomplished, effective leader and change agent possessing a strong, customer-centric focus and proven experience collaborating with senior management to conduct strategic planning to support and further business goals.

Specialties:- Training and Development
– Talent & Leadership Development
– Facilitation and Public Speaking
– Consulting, Coaching and Mentoring
– Strategic Planning/Budgeting
– Assessment and Analysis
– Project Management
– Six Sigma certified (Black Belt)

Connect with Patty:

Questions Asked:

  • Tell us about yourself, your family, your passions, and what you do.
  • What’s one thing about Patty Beard that people would be surprised to know?
  • When you think of success, who is the first person who comes to mind?
Personal Leadership:
  • Walk us through your leadership journey… When did you first realize you were a leader?
  • How did you learn to lead? 
  • Can you name a person or two who have had a huge impact on your life as a leader? How did they person impact your life?
  • What are you doing and what have you done to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
  • What books have you read that have made a great impact on you that you would recommend? 
  • How do you structure your days and your life so that you are as productive as possible?
  • Could you talk about one or two of your greatest leadership failures? What did you learn from them?
  • What did you learn about leadership at GE? What have you learned about leadership at Dick’s?

Organizational Leadership: 

  • In your experience, what is the best way to develop leaders?
  • In today’s fast paced world, what qualities would you say are absolutely critical for every leader to develop?
  • What is Six Sigma quality improvement? How can leaders apply it to their lives?
  • Can you discuss the importance of feedback in an organization?
  • How should leaders view feedback?
  • How can leaders get better at giving it? 
  • What qualities do you look for in up and coming leaders?
  • What can young leaders do to set themselves apart in their organizations?
  • What separates the leaders who continually rise through the ranks verse the ones who don’t
  • What does mentoring and development young leaders look like in your organization?
  • What advice would you give young leaders when it comes to picking the “right” career?
  • In your leadership experience, what have you learned about building a great team?
  • What do you think is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?
  • What are you most proud of up to this point in your life?
  • What do you want to be remembered for?  What do you want your legacy to be?
  • Any closing advice for young leaders?

Learning to Lead Announcements: 

1.) Learning to Lead Breakfast Series Our next leadership event will be a lunch on Saturday, January 16th, 2016 at 8 a.m. at Bistro to Go on the North Side. Our speaker is Russell Livingston, President of Babb, Inc. Register here for this event!

2.) Learning to Lead Small Groups – We have a small groups of young leaders that get together twice a month to discuss leadership, hold each other accountable to our goals, and to build a community of leaders passionate about making a difference in our city. If you’re interested in attending, e-mail me at dougsmith@l3leadership.org.

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