Patricia Loveall’s Big 5 Tips for Industrial Leadership
By John Salustri
IAMC Spring Forum attendees this year know Patricia Loveall, SIOR. The Seattle-based executive vice president of CBRE and an IAMC Fellow was this year’s recipient of the Michael C. Hickey Award as Service Provider of the Year. She is also this year’s global president of SIOR.
So, we thought it appropriate to chat with her about success–and her Big 5 goals for up-and-coming industrial professionals with their eyes on the price of leadership positions.
- “Be present,” she says. And by “present,” she means fully engaged in the matter at hand, be it a project, a negotiation, a conference call. And whatever the matter, come prepared. “Do your homework–and don’t gloss over the details--so you can be in the moment and present yourself and your ideas in a meaningful way.”
- “Develop your skills,” is next up for Loveall, in particular, “your writing and speaking skills.” Motivating people is a key resource for team building and, ultimately, the broader success of your department. On the subject of skills, certainly a finely tuned financial acumen is also a major plus.
- “Be confident,” says Loveall, which of course relates back to the ability to motivate people as well as gaining the trust of peers, leadership and clients alike. “I always want to be thought of as a professional,” she adds, “and I want someone to hire me because I’m the very best at what I do. Not because I’m a woman.” She adds a very important point, especially as it relates to women and other underrepresented groups, people who may not “believe in themselves as much as they could or should. The truth is, they deserve to be here. They deserve to be in the room.”
- “Ask for Help.” This, she says, is probably the most challenging skill to develop, akin as it is to being perceived as weak or uninformed. “Get over it,” she says, frankly. Despite the intense competition, we all see, especially at such events as the IAMC forums and locals, a spirit of sharing. “Don’t deny someone’s else’s joy of helping,” is her advice, “and be ready to help when you’re asked.”
- “Develop Partnerships,” is Number 5, but not the least, for Loveall. And not only the professional partnerships. “This is not a part-time job,” she states. “That means you have to find a way to balance family life. I made sure the things that were important to me in my personal life were always in place. I was always home for dinner, and we ate together as a family.” Even when that meant cracking open the laptop when the kids were in bed. “Women especially have to realize you can’t use family or children as an excuse not to succeed. You may just have to put in more time and work smart.” Happily, traditional work strictures are lifting on such benefits as paternity leave and paid time off to make those partnerships more feasible.