OneSubsea’s Post

Wow, what a journey it has been! Recently my family and I returned to our home state of Texas after living and working in Germany and the UK for over 6 years! After this experience, I can confidently say I return "home" as a different person with an expanded mindset. Here are some of the key things I learned along the way. 🔷 One size does not fit all. One of the biggest things I had to learn was how to be a more dynamic leader. Managing in different cultures and different environments really stretched me to find different ways to motivate and inspire. What may work in one location doesn’t always work in another. Be flexible. 🔷 Take time to learn. Each team in each location had its own biology, with different needs. Instead of coming into a new place with a pre-conceived notion of what I would do, taking time to understand the people and the needs of that location always paid dividends. It became less about implementing my ideas, but more about listening, empowering, and supporting. 🔷 Failure is not fatal, nor final. Fear of not fulfilling the needs of each group can be daunting. You must learn to rise above the fear and see each challenge as an opportunity. Learn from mistakes and leave each team and location better than when you arrived. 🔷 Culture matters. Each location I’ve worked in had its own unique culture. I’ve learned that change leadership is not about changing a culture to fit your expectations. It’s about immersing yourself in the existing culture, establishing trust, and growing a new and better culture organically. That has staying power, even after you move on to new challenges. 🔷 Diversity is powerful. I’ve worked in locations that were more diverse than others, and what I’ve learned is that diversity on all levels (thought, background, sex, race, etc..) is the engine of truly innovative groups. It is amazing what can happen when you welcome in diversity of thought. Creativity blossoms and self-confidence takes root. There is no longer “one way” to get it done, but many other ways, and people become confident to challenge the norms. 🔷 Celebrate small wins. Truth is that 3-4 years in a location is not enough to get everything done that you want to. It leaves you with a feeling that things are incomplete. But if you can affect change in enough ways, that results in movement, and mass and movement have powerful inertia. There were so many other things I learned along the way, and I couldn’t capture it all in one post. But I know that I never would have had the opportunity had it not been for a trusting leadership team, and a company mindset that we are better when we challenge ourselves to go outside of our comfort zone. This is the mindset and culture of SLB and OneSubsea. I would encourage anyone that has the opportunity to work abroad to do so. It isn’t the easiest path, but for us, it was the most rewarding path. And these experiences will shape the rest of the steps I take from here in each and every role I am in.

Thoughts on Diversity. I’ll be honest. If I were adding someone to my team, I wouldn’t choose someone solely because they’re White, Black, American Indian, Asian, or any other race. I also wouldn’t choose them because of their gender, sexual preference, or who they voted for. I would choose them for who they are and what they bring to the team. I would choose them because I highly value, deeply desire, and desperately need their perspective. Here’s some wisdom learned over the years about the value of diversity. Off the top of my head, I can name (at least) three reasons why diverse perspectives from people with different backgrounds are invaluable to me. #1 - Lack of context creates sh*tty decisions. This is true professionally and personally. Context is critical in my role as a leader, CISO/vCISO, friend, father, and husband. How many times have I uttered the words “if only I had known” in the aftermath of one of my sh*tty decisions? I’ll tell you. Too many times! Different perspectives create context, and context creates better decisions. #2 - The best solutions are approached from many different angles. In my role, some people call me a “visionary”. Besides feeling uncomfortable with titles/labels, I can tell you that visionaries are nothing more than delusional dreamers when there’s nobody around to validate their vision. A vision without validation and someone to navigate the treacherous path towards reality is little more than hallucination. The worst person to validate me is me. The next worst person to validate me is someone like me. If I had a dime for every wild idea I’ve had, you could add me to the G7 and make it eight again. Not only do other people’s perspectives save me from myself, they also create elegant and realistic solutions to difficult problems. #3 - Life enrichment. Living life through a single lens (mine) is tragically void of creativity and love. Sure, there’s comfort when I’m with people like me, we can be like “pack animals”. That word comfort. There’s a time and a place for comfort in my life, but it certainly isn’t all the time and everywhere. If I’m not paying attention, I could imagine comfort becoming an idol that breeds complacency. Different perspectives bring fulfillment and a deeper sense of love for life. I’m absolutely convinced there’s a correlation between the number of different perspectives and the quality of outcomes. There’s tremendous value to discover in discussions with people who are NOT like me. I’m grateful for the diversity brought by different people in my life. So, in closing. I like making better decisions. I like solving difficult problems. I like living a life full of awesome sh*t! Relationships with people who aren’t like me, don’t look like me, grew up in different neighborhoods, had different childhoods, etc. is critical to mutual success, not to mention my own success. Someone I would choose for my team is someone who’s not like me. This is what I think about diversity.

6 examples of ego holding you and your team back: 1/ Stubbornness: Sticking to past decisions and opinions because you don't want to admit mistakes or because your culture penalizes doing it. 2/ Heroism: Having individuals who always "swoop in" and save the day. You need to have the courage to tell them to step back and let others handle without crutches. 3/ Pigeon-holing: Like the engineer who limits herself only to the backend because "frontend isn't really code," or tech executives who don't participate in business conversations. You are only as limited as you make yourself be. 4/ Politics: If you're more concerned about how a certain thing will be viewed as opposed to its actual implications, you're letting ego control you. 5/ One-way careers: There's nothing wrong with trying out a new role and realizing it's not the right one for you. However, don't let your ego hold you there. For example, in a managerial position when you realize you really want to be an IC. Same goes for leaders who can't say this to their people, afraid of hurting their feelings. 6/ Martyrdom: The opposite of the last one, is when people stay on in roles they no longer enjoy because they feel like it's an obligation. Like the early employees who have lost all passion as the company grew but believe they cannot leave or swap positions. Ego often just limits us and weighs on everyone around us.

GREAT CULTURE IS NOT A MYSTERY. You might call it by another name, but every one of us has a value system. This is what frames days, defines perspectives, shapes attitudes and becomes the fabric of our relationships. It defines our culture. Either honesty is a guidepost, or we find convenience and comfort in shades of gray and ethics that conform to the moment. Either we believe word is equivalent to bond, or we live and work in a world devoid of trust. Either expectations drive us, and we view life in transactional terms, or we come to every endeavor with the best we have to give because this is a reflection of who we are. Either we embrace kindness, or we are open to letting our worst inclinations define how we interact with each other. Either we believe relationship trumps everything, and therefore invest mightily in them, or we believe something that is fleeting warrants our attention, energy and investments. Either we forgive; or we forfeit the renewal that comes with having been forgiven. Either we believe that nothing is more valuable than a person, or we do not. And this calibrates priorities. What we value most either frames every challenge…every opportunity. It is a source for joy and fulfillment. Or what we value leaves us wanting. Whether at home, in business or in our communities, what we value most defines the culture in which we will live, and the one we hand to the next generation. Our choice.  #culturechange #values #leadership #peopleareworthit #betterconversations #kindness

Are you different? Embracing what makes us unique is a beautiful journey that sets us apart from the crowd. The feeling of being different from others can be incredibly empowering. It's a reminder that we are not meant to fit into a specific mold, but rather to shine in our own individual way. Our quirks, passions, and perspectives are what make us beautifully distinct, and they deserve to be celebrated. Standing out from the crowd allows us to bring fresh ideas, diverse experiences, and unique talents to the table. It gives us the opportunity to challenge the status quo and pave new paths. When we embrace our differences, we inspire others to do the same, creating a more colorful and vibrant world where authenticity reigns supreme. Feeling different can sometimes be daunting, as it means swimming against the current and facing uncertainties. However, it's within these differences that we often find our greatest strengths and sources of creativity. The world is in constant need of individuals who are unafraid to break free from conventions and express themselves authentically. Moreover, being different fosters a sense of resilience and self-assurance. It encourages us to stand tall in the face of adversity and to take pride in our uniqueness. By being true to ourselves, we set an example for others to do the same, fostering a culture of acceptance and understanding. In a society that often encourages conformity, embracing our uniqueness is an act of rebellion—a rebellion against the fear of judgment and the pressure to blend in. It's a declaration that we are unapologetically ourselves, and that is where our true power lies. So, let's revel in our individuality, for it is the cornerstone of progress, creativity, and positive change. In conclusion, feeling different is not a barrier; it's a superpower. It's an invitation to explore uncharted territories, to celebrate diversity, and to leave an indelible mark on the world. Let's cherish our uniqueness and encourage others to do the same, for it is in our differences that we find the most extraordinary aspects of humanity. -Henry “Tiburon” Lejarde. #motivational #inspiringleadership #itsokaytobedifferent

“Surround yourself with people who talk about visions & ideas. Not people’.   The environment in which we live in, plays a pivotal role in shaping our success or downfall. It encompasses various aspects, but I believe these are the three most critical ways it can impact us as an individual:   1. Peer Influence: Peers can significantly impact an individual's behaviour, attitudes, & goals. A supportive peer group can motivate & encourage, while a negative peer group can lead to distractions or negative behaviours that impede success.   2. Supportive vs. Negative Environment: A supportive environment serves as a fertile ground for growth, which offers encouragement, resources, & opportunities. It nurtures your confidence & motivation, acting as an impetus to for one to thrive. Conversely, a hostile or unsupportive environment can stifle personal development.   3. Cultural Norms & Expectations: Cultural norms & societal expectations prevalent in the environment plays a paramount role in shaping an individual’s aspirations, values, & beliefs about success. They can either motivate individuals to strive for excellence or impose limitations based on the societal standards.   Hence, ‘Surround yourself with people who talk about visions & ideas. Not people’! #environment #growth #culture #beliefsystem #society #support #success    

That moment when your employee calls you and says how much they appreciate you as the leader that you are. This person had 9 leaders in 7 months prior to coming to my team. He said to himself, “I’m going to outlast her too”. Well… lo and behold, we worked together for a little over three years. I saw early on that he had potential to either go into leadership or an analytical role due to the way he dissected information quickly and presented it in an easy to understand way. This was just a few of his skills. Seeing the demands I had in my role, I decided to leverage his overall skill set and willingness to take on more responsibilities to learn and grow. I assigned him tasks, projects, and responsibilities and he just soared! I continued to coach him and give him insight so he knew how to position himself for those hidden opportunities. He began to get recognition not only within my team where his peers respected him, but across a segment that has over 500 individuals and leaders in it. Guess what? He’s leaving my team but for a good reason. He landed a hidden job by following my advice (that’s to put it lightly as it pretty much went like this - “do what I tell you in the way I tell you and watch what happens.”). Everything I would tell him to do, he did it and saw things pan out just like I said they would. I have to put another little nugget in here as I think it’s really important to know. This gentleman is a Caucasian male. I point this out as there have been times when people would say, Caucasian males find it hard to take direction from a strong African American woman leader. I have found in my corporate career and in my business that this has not been true for me. I have quite a few Caucasian men that I coach, develop, and mentor - in the past and currently. And, for that, I am thankful. I love pouring into people, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, creed, or anything. All I see is potential and will. That’s a perfect match for me to go all in. All in all, I was trying to hold back the ugly cry as he poured into me by saying how appreciative he is for me and all my guidance. He said he would have never had the opportunities he has had if it had not been for me seeing something in him. And for that… I’m grateful and it’s a great way to go into the weekend. P.S. This is a “brag” on how awesome I am in what I do. 😉 iRock Development Solutions, LLC d.b.a. iRock Résumés Society of Elite Resume Writers and Coaches Lisa Bragg

Ever wondered why the passion, once burning bright in a team member, wanes over time? I recently began collaborating with a junior colleague who initially exhibited a great deal of enthusiasm and delivered impressive results. However, I have noticed a gradual decline in their motivational levels, and the passion once so evident seems to have waned. 𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗔 Ajay, how are you today? May I have a casual conversation with you? Have you watched any movies recently? Where is your hometown, and what makes it special? I am planning some budget-friendly travel in the next few months. Which Instagram pages or YouTube channels do you follow to refresh and gain unique insights? Can you share them with me? I am very interested in DIY content. 𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗕 It appears you gravitate towards the most creative pursuits, which is something I admired when you first joined us, and you were excelling. How did you feel during the initial three months? Lately, have you noticed any misalignment between your interests and the work or organizational expectations? I am here to understand your perspective and see what might be occurring behind the scenes. Thank you for sharing. Could you provide examples where things did not align with you, resulting in a dip in your performance? That was quite insightful. If you were in senior management or a leadership position, how would you envision changes that could enhance enthusiasm without compromising quality? 𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗖 I really enjoyed our conversation; it was deep and insightful. I feel we spent our time well, and I learned about issues that were not immediately apparent. I want to review the feedback and suggestions you provided and consider implementing them on a quarterly basis to promote adoption and change. I am keen to modify my leadership style in ways that would enable you to perform at your best. I will distribute a survey to gather more information on this specific topic to uncover other potential scenarios and issues. Engaging in these conversations requires starting from non-threatening, comfortable topics as outlined in 𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗔. Then, adopting the junior’s perspective to understand their workplace experience in 𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗕. Finally, acknowledge and appreciate their input, ensuring them that the feedback will inform future changes, as described in 𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗖 I'd love to hear other perspectives on maintaining motivation and enthusiasm at work. How do you leaders out there keep your team's passion ignited? Feel free to share your thoughts! Or, if you've been in a similar position as my colleague, what helped reignite your motivation? Your experiences may help others in the same boat! #Workcubes

I've been using this platform for years, and I cannot believe I've only just realised I've never really introduced myself to you. So here goes : I'm Kirsteen, I love working with female leaders. I love to help them unleash their unshakeable confidence, enabling them to speak up and stand out in their careers. So many brilliant women resist speaking up and/or stepping up for fear of judgement, rejection, or failure. I have seen it in my career when I was leading senior leaders. I saw it in myself when I started to lose myself and was stressed, and now I see the before and after of working with my clients. Seeing my clients do what they never thought possible is what lights me up. Two things were pivotal in my journey from corporate life into entrepreneurship. ONE: I knew I wanted to leave my corporate career for a few years before I left. I was scared of failing, and other people's judgement. How could I leave my career, salary, and everything that went with it to start a business?? I delayed and hesitated. Eventually, when I knew I had to change things, I invested in coaching before I left and started doing the work on me, my mindset, my beliefs, and my identity. It was the best and most important decision I made. For years I had just been pushing myself to get the results I had; it was exhausting and often felt like a battle. Then I started to realise that I had a terrible relationship with myself. I needed to work on my self-concept and my relationship with me. This was a massive shift which started to change things for me.I started to trust myself, encourage myself, and support myself, which translated into the courage to start my new business and the confidence to keep going - even when it was tough! TWO: Once I found my way out of my career. I knew I needed to work on my drive for perfection and fear of judgement. Otherwise, I would have a brilliant hobby, and my work would be the best-kept secret. This was scary for me, and I remember my coach being tough, asking me if my fear of judgement was more important than my mission. That's when I embraced the uncomfortable and got myself seen, even if it wasn't perfect! One of the daily habits I introduced was to be in imperfect action every day. This behaviour shifted my mindset from the need for perfection to being able to appreciate progress. I would have done nothing if I had waited until things were perfect! I am married to John. We have been married for 30 years this year! We have 2 mad boxer dogs, Henrietta and Marvin, and two cats that rule the roost, Spot and Lily. I am also MD for the UK chapter of Polka Dot Powerhouse, a women's connection company focused on connection, collaboration, and celebrating each other. If we have recently connected, I'd love to know more about who you are and what you do. I love getting to know my connections here, so don't be surprised if I invite you for a virtual coffee sometime 😃

I was raised to be modest, not to boast. It was okay to be successful but not to shout too loudly about my accomplishments. I regularly hear similar narratives. I don’t want to play the corporate game. I hate how egos show up at work. I cringe at the thought of boasting about my accomplishments. This mindset evolves from several elements. Upbringing, culture, gender stereotypes, and having a strong inner critic around not being good enough. I see accomplished female leaders, disruptors in their industries, playing small. Acting in a modest way to be accepted. I understand this and have done the same. I believed that working hard and delivering to a high standard would mean I would be seen and recognised. And to a point in my career this happened. I was recognised, liked and respected. However, something was missing. Playing small, and relying on others to share my accomplishments, was holding me back from realising my potential impact. Playing small may seem harmless, however recognising it is a pattern that no longer served me was a significant turning point. I now feel confident to talk openly and share my accomplishments and the impact I am having, but in a way that is humble and authentic to me. I work with women to be authentic and find their ‘right- size’ for them (Not too small or too big). Here are some of the tools we explore: 🌟 Know who you are – Your strengths. Your contribution to what is being achieved. So you can talk about what you can bring to support others. Start small - share with your partner or child or friend what you achieved today. 🥂 Celebrate your successes – This doesn’t have to be shouting from the roof tops. It may be getting your nails done, going for dinner with a best friend, taking the afternoon off. Be intentional in building your confidence and motivation. 😀 Talk about what you impact you are having. Focus less on what you did, and more on the impact of your actions for others. 💡 Have confidence in what you do – Dial down the inner critic to move out of your comfort zone (coaching has been an important for me to befriend and re frame the narratives of my inner critic.) 🎁 Don’t resist compliments –Build your capacity to accept genuine praise. It could be a simple as’ Thank you for sharing that.’ 👁️🗨️ Surround yourself with role models – Who do you admire being authentic, owning and talking about what they do and have achieved, whilst impacting those around them. If this resonates with you, I look forward to helping you explore your ‘right size’. Life is too beautiful to play small and the world needs your impact.