She Leads – With Robert Spickard
Name: Robert Spickard
Job Title: Senior Client Solutions Executive, CAI
What would you tell your younger self? Never procrastinate. Nothing good ever comes from putting things off that need or have to be done.
What was your major in college? Telecom Management. My first job after school was selling telecom gear to the government. I have been in sales ever since then.
What was your inspiration and what helped you become successful? How do you define success? I spent 6 years in the Marine Corps. That taught me hard work pays and what it means to be part of a group of goal focused people. Success is being able to look at your life and be proud of how you have lived. Whether it is your work, community, or family if it makes you proud it was a success. If you are not proud of it change it.
How do you balance your work and personal life? Often times one has more importance, and we’re curious to know how you’ve handled the balance. I have had jobs where that balance was very off kilter. It is fine to be all work no play when you are starting out and building your work and life style. Balance becomes a must once you understand what you want and need. The more people that are in your life the more focus you need on maintaining balance. I did not realize how out of balance my life had become until my step son graduated. His mother and I had divorced but I maintained a relationship. His mother made a video collage of all of the places he had been and I realized that I was not in enough of the pictures. I was always the one who stayed home and worked and took care of the animals. I missed too much
What is your favorite quote? “There is no limit to what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit”
What’s your favorite part of your job and why? People. If you can deal with people effectively you can succeed any where.
What is your favorite hobby? Golf. It is a game that can never be perfected and allows me to shut the outside world off for a few hours and enjoy nature.
What advice do you want to give the next generation of women leaders? Being a leader means you have to lead. Leading is different from managing, do not confuse the two. Managing is the process of trying control the process. Leading is trying to create a process that future people can follow and use.
What does leadership mean to you? Being unafraid of making mistakes and always setting the example. Leaders understand that taking care of the people around them and making them better is what makes the world work. Doing your own thing with out bringing others along is not leading. How you got where you are is just as important where you end up.
What’s your advice on mentoring? Find someone in your organization that excels and is respected. If you don’ chose your mentor one will be chosen for you and that is not always a good thing. It is much easier to learn to things the right way once then the wrong way multiple times.
What’s your favorite ice cream? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Is there any other information that you think Girl Talk members would benefit from? Never be afraid to ask for help. Never be afraid to fail. No one that has ever succeeded at anything did so without failing at least once. Learning from failure makes you stronger.