Leadership & Influence
How I Create Impact
Leading through complexity and change by creating clarity, building trust, and taking ownership when gaps exist. Whether or not I hold formal authority, I influence outcomes by stabilizing teams, developing talent, and helping leaders and organizations navigate ambiguity with confidence.
Representative Examples
​Bristol Myers Squibb - Leading Through Ambiguity and Transition
Problem: Sudden leadership and staffing turnover occurred before I was fully onboarded as a contract Instructional Designer and there was limited transition planning, interim leadership or guidance available for nearly nine months.
Solution: I stabilized the work by locating and assessing materials across multiple systems, identifying current and future needs, and unraveling the complex handoff process. I navigated loosely defined workflows, built working knowledge through sustained cross-functional collaboration, and documented guidance for repeatable execution. As new leaders came onboard, I proactively prepared them by providing context, priorities, and practical insight into where complexity and risk were most likely to surface.
Outcome: Onboarding for new managers and team members was accelerated, and early missteps were reduced by sharing hard-won institutional knowledge. I became a trusted point of reference for the team when processes broke down, enabling continuity, stability, and confidence during an extended period of organizational disruption.
Stabilization Leadership
Function Building
Parallel Brands - Building and Leading a Scalable Learning Team During Rapid Growth
Problem: At the time I joined, the company had just opened its fifth retail location, with plans to open twenty more within the year, creating immediate pressure across the entire vertically integrated business. The existing small team consisted of non-learning professionals focused solely on retail needs. The team's efforts were not scalable and burnout risk was increasing.
Solution: I led with supportive, direct leadership focused on clarity of expectations, trust, and ongoing coaching. I restructured the team based on individual strengths, hired and developed learning professionals, and encouraged collaboration and skill-sharing across roles. I addressed performance gaps early and compassionately, including guiding some individuals into roles better aligned with their capabilities while providing stretch opportunities for those ready to grow within the team.
Outcome: The team evolved into a high-performing, scalable learning function, resulting in a learning environment that effectively supported all aspects of the vertical through every growth step. Multiple team members grew into more senior or influential roles, and the team earned a strong reputation as collaborative problem-solvers.
Epic-Premier Insurance Solutions - Influencing Culture Without Formal Authority
Problem: The company lacked an HR function and employee relations responsibilities were informally assigned to managers with little experience handling them, resulting in unresolved conflict and workplace tension. New hires often brought their concerns directly to me, revealing cultural and engagement issues leadership was not being made aware of.
Solution: I proposed and implemented an employee engagement survey to provide objective data on employee sentiment, leadership perception, and organizational data points. Using the results as a diagnostic baseline, I recommended and supported a behavior and accountability-focused training program for both employees and managers, establishing shared expectations and common language for resolving issues.
Outcome: Leadership gained visibility into organizational challenges and had actionable data to guide future engagement efforts. The organization established clearer behavioral standards and expectations, reducing ambiguity around responsibility and conflict resolution while creating a more consistent foundation for growth.