In this episode, Bart sits down with Janet Drysdale, Interim Chief Commercial Officer at CN, to explore her career journey through progressively senior roles and how communication has been the key differentiator at every level. Janet reflects on the different skills required at each step of a career, and how even today, in a new senior role, it’s critical that she continues to hone her ability to influence, listen, and inspire.
She shares how the demands of communication shift as your career grows. Early in your career, you need the courage to share your opinion, as you advance, you need to learn to say “no” quickly and decisively. At more senior levels, it becomes essential to translate complexity into clarity, become an exceptional listener, and empower others to speak up and share their voice.
Whether you’re just starting out or leading at the highest level, this conversation weaves together Janet's insights and experiences to reveal the communication skills that matter most and how they can fuel your success.
00:12 Show intro
00:47 Introducing Janet
02:14 Why communication has been important for Janet's career
03:11 Communication is the single most important skill
03:54 Communication in the early years of Janet's career
05:01 Early career very FACT-focused
05:23 But what do you think about the facts
06:39 Was there a moment when she had to step up and lead
06:49 Nobody could argue with facts but suggesting solutions was scary
07:57 The beginning of real conversation is when you put yourself out there and get feedback
08:51 Investor relations role
10:59 Communication helps build relationships
12:54 Influencing the C-suite level
13:03 The way you communicate matters
13:48 Tailoring communication to the room
14:41 Bart recalls a time when they worked together
16:51 Sometimes you need the facts not the story from people
19:31 Understanding the why and how they're telling the story
20:16 Helping others find their communication styles
21:22 Bart asks her for a story of helping a team member
22:44 People in the room who want to talk but are too shy
23:56 Reinforce the behavior
24:18 The importance of listening
26:42 The finance team also needs to learn to communicate
27:33 It doesn't matter what your role is communication is key
27:56 The downside of a "maybe"
28:24 If you're going to have to say "no" don't string it out with "maybe"
29:48 Communication is also to build trust and respect
30:24 What skills is Janet still working on
31:27 Thank Yous
31:58 Show outro
Janet Drysdale: My point here is that it doesn't matter what role you're in. Never never underestimate that communication is a critical piece of your role.
Bart Egnal: Welcome to the Inspire Podcast where we examine what it takes to intentionally inspire. I'm your host Bart Egnal president and CEO of The Humphrey Group and if you've ever asked yourself how can you develop an authentic leadership presence or how can you tell stories that.
Have people hanging off every word. Well then this podcast is for you and it's not just for executives. This is a podcast for anyone who wants to influence and inspire others in their work but also in their life.
So my guest on today's episode of the Inspired podcast is Janet Drysdale. Janet is the Interim Chief Commercial Officer at CN and she joins me for this podcast from Montreal. Janet welcome to the podcast.
Janet Drysdale: Thank you so much Bart for the invite. It's great to be here this morning.
Bart Egnal: It's great to have you.
I've known you I was thinking it's been over I think a decade we've worked together initially through the investor relations capacity which you headed up and then through your more recent roles and then now you're in this as we record this this new roles in firm Chief Commercial Officer one of the most senior roles.
one of Canada's largest companies from a span a matter of weeks but it's a it's just the latest and greatest for you at CN. So I actually wanted to have you on because you've had this amazing career at CN. You've been at CN for. Some 30 years and you spent your whole career at this company doing a wide variety of things continually rising up earning the respective people inside and in the work we do with our r from the street and from investors and one of the things that's always stood out to me is what an incredible communicator you are.
And so. I want to have you on to talk since this is a podcast about leadership communication about your career and about the role that communication has played in it. So maybe just start before we go back to the start of your career maybe just give me and people listening your snapshot of why communication has been important for your career.
Janet Drysdale: So let me start off by saying never a dull moment in railroading. So here we are. and here I am almost 30 years in railroading and almost 30 years at CN. certainly not what I had envisioned when I joined the company. and I would say looking back you know my views on communication have certainly evolved.
Over time and you know looking forward to talking a little bit more about that but certainly very kind of fact-based in my early career. and then mid-career understanding the art of subtlety the art of nuance if you will. and then really in the later career like how do you bring these two things together?
And then more importantly as a leader how do you coach your people and your team? you know for me communication is probably the single most important skill anybody can have. And when I say communication I don't mean just speaking. I mean verbal communication written communication I mean listening and I mean being able to read the room.
Bart Egnal: Yeah. It's interesting the way you describe you know two things that resonate with me there. One is that you know. Communication is not just this one skill it's a it's a wide variety of capabilities. And second that the ones you need the ones you nurture at each phase of your career have varied and change.
And I'm sure now you know that you're in this very senior role you're going to have to draw on all of them. So. So maybe we go back to the beginning of your career as you referenced. Tell me how it all started and what communication meant for you at that in those early years.
Janet Drysdale: So I joined CN about six months after the company's initial public offering.
So the company had gone through tremendous amount of change. At the time I joined they were trying to infuse new business talent in the organization and I had done in my undergraduate degree and my MBA back to back. I didn't have a lot of work experience and they had this two year fast-paced management development program and I thought this is amazing.
I'm going to load up my rese and I'm going to go work somewhere. Good. That was the plan. So you know and then go somewhere else. Right. Then go somewhere else. Exactly. You're like this is just two years I yeah. What's this railroading? How stuff working for you? How working for yeah exactly. So obviously you know things change and evolve but you know when I when I started Don't worry
Bart Egnal: Janet there's still time for you to find somewhere good to work.
That's right. Maybe with some responsibility. That's
Janet Drysdale: right. So I'll tell you know railroading gets in your blood for sure. but early career. I was very fact focused and you know I I can think back to a time when I was working actually as a market manager on the commercial team and you know we would help the sales team and we'd prepare for major customer contract renewals and you know I came to my boss and I had my fax and the history and the data and .
And that was all very good. Mm-hmm. but the question was well what do you think about it? Hmm. You know what is your opinion about mm-hmm. All of this data and these facts? Hmm. What should we do and how should we do it? So that was kind of the first foray into okay it's not enough just to have the information.
Right. You know how do you put it together? How do you think about it? And then how do you communicate it? and you know I think that's the early beginning of you know you start with the data or the science you know of information. but that doesn't get you far enough right? And so it's really how do I take this and turn it into something that's meaningful?
And the way you do that is through you know formulating your thoughts and opinions right? And then really communicating it with clarity and with conviction. Hmm.
Bart Egnal: So taking me back let let's go back to that point in time. 'cause I think what you're what you're articulating here is something we certainly see I see a lot in our coaching which is early career you become an expert.
you're preparing information for others. And then someone asked you as you had. You know what do you think? So do you remember the moment where you had to take that leap? Was there and you put your voice for it and tell me about that. It if we could share that story.
Janet Drysdale: It was it was butterflies you know like you you know I in that role and in that early career.
Nobody could argue with facts. Mm-hmm. So if I presented facts the facts are the facts.
Bart Egnal: It was safe. Mm-hmm. It was
Janet Drysdale: safe. Exactly. But when you start conveying your opinion or you start conveying your thoughts about how to do something or what do we do with the information
Bart Egnal: right?
Janet Drysdale: What's the strategy and how are we going to execute it?
you really put yourself out there and it's scary because you can be challenged.
Bart Egnal: Right.
Janet Drysdale: Do you
Bart Egnal: remember a moment? Was there I do absolutely.
Janet Drysdale: And it was that pushing of okay Janet but like I can get the facts from anybody. Hmm. Right. I don't pay you to gimme the facts. You know? I can almost have a today we can have AI do the facts.
Right exactly. So. So I want to know what you think. And I just remember that moment of kind of hesitation because gee if I if I put myself out there I can be challenged. Mm. I could be questioned or somebody can come back at me and say well I don't fully agree with the way you're thinking. Right. And the first time was scary and it was mm-hmm.
Hesitating. And you but you know you take one step at a time. And then I think what I got to appreciate over time was that's actually the beginning of a conversation.
Bart Egnal: Hmm.
Janet Drysdale: That's the beginning of meaningful communication right? Is having that interaction allowing your ideas to be challenged right?
and sometimes you double down and you're sure of your position and you want to reinforce the way that you're thinking but sometimes if you have the right kind of open mind and you know other ideas are coming to the table it's a way to change the way you're thinking as well.
Bart Egnal: So it sounds like you made that first leap in your early career.
You said all right I'm willing to go from just sharing facts to taking position. Now you're you become comfortable doing that. Now you're at the table you're having conversations. What role were you in at the time now that you've hit this this kind of next level?
Janet Drysdale: Yeah I think kind of when I think about.
The role kind of mid-career where mm-hmm. There was a lot of growing and learning was really when I was in investor relations. Mm. And this is where the subtlety comes in.
Bart Egnal: Yeah.
Janet Drysdale: and we're dealing with you know sell side analysts that cover our stock and literally their job is to ask you questions.
Right. And they will ask you anything and everything. Mm-hmm. and this is where that nuance comes in. I remember . We were going through a CEO transition and this was quite a ways back it was a very charismatic big CEO that we had. Mm-hmm. And I had you know not only the sell side but our shareholders saying you know like what we'll see and miss the most about this departing CEO.
And then you kind of sit back for a minute and say my God is that a loaded question?
Bart Egnal: Mm-hmm. Right. How do
Janet Drysdale: how do I answer that? Right.
Bart Egnal: So what did you say? So how did you do that?
Janet Drysdale: So you know I I thought. First of all you want to think about what you say before you say it. Mm-hmm. And I think that's an important lesson.
Bart Egnal: Mm-hmm.
Janet Drysdale: and you want to think about where does this lead the conversation to go? And so in this case you know many folks who are in in the rail industry will know Hunter Harrison. And he was just a larger than life figure. so in in my view. You know what CN was going to miss the most was just his charisma and his power of communication.
this is a guy who could have equally been a preacher and we would've all mm-hmm. You know sent our checks you know to hunter here. We believe we believe. But I needed to be able to convey that you know the railroad itself will continue to run well and operate well because we've had the training and that our leadership transition will be seamless.
But we can't deny that we're going to miss something you know about somebody that was that charismatic and that influential and powerful in the industry but. Thinking your way through the conversation. Mm-hmm. And thinking your way through. What are they really trying to ask me here? Mm-hmm. This was a great learning ground in investor relations.
Hmm. You know when they ask you know Janet why is the sky blue today? You know? Right. There's 15 sub themes that they're trying to explore and come at you. So I think . I think that that was a great role to understand how communication can help you build relationships. Hmm. How communication can help you build trust.
Hmm. credibility. and in a role where. You know you still have to work under the rules and regulations of you know what is publicly disclosed information. Mm-hmm. And so it was it there were great lessons I think in that role around it sounds. Yeah. How do you how do you now kind of take the data and the facts?
And the I guess the science of things and how do I you know how do I embrace the art of things right? How do I embrace the nuance and the subtlety and how do I bring the art and science together?
Bart Egnal: What a what a great role for comm for developing communication skills and you know all those kind of I have to talk to the analyst.
I have to deal with Q and I have to think about the second order. I'm also in consequences of what I'm saying. You also mentioned you have two words in there in trust and influence and so I want you to share a bit about internally as well. Mm-hmm. Because you know investor relations. Not only were you I'm sure developing these skills in terms of how you convey the company's story and the messaging.
But investor relations is one of those roles which is totally influence base. Internally you're dealing with the most senior people in the company and you have to guide and shape and influence their voices in how they tell a story. And so talk to me a bit about that because I think a lot of people listening.
Who are in you know the mid-career. Need to do that. They're starting to interact more with C-Suite. They're starting to interact more with executives and it could I know from experiencing coaching people at this level it can be a shock. So when you reflect back on that time what did you learn about influencing these very communicating with these very senior people?
Janet Drysdale: So the way you communicate matters. Okay. and so I my strength is veers more towards kind of the direct communication style. I think you know there were good lessons learned during this time about you know subtlety and nuance and . Not always hitting the point head on. Hmm. Okay. So it is a bit different when you're trying to kind of coach up to C-suite mm-hmm.
And they're not all the same to be to be fair. So you know different people will take feedback in different ways. And so you have to adjust your style according to who you're speaking to. And that was you know. My point earlier about communication also being about reading the room.
Bart Egnal: Hmm. And
Janet Drysdale: and reading the room it may be may be a one-on-one conversation but you need to read Right.
The reactions of the person that you're talking to and you need to be able to course correct. Right. You know you could see facial expressions. Oh that was that comment didn't really sit well with them. Let me let me try and explain it in more detail. Let me give an example. Right. Let me point to point to somebody else.
You know sometimes Bard and this is where you and I have had you know great success in working together is sometimes. The messages need to be heard from somebody else. And so you need to actually think about that as well and say okay do I need to bring in somebody from the outside who's perceived as being more objective?
And can the message be better received from somebody that is an expert in communication? So, so you have to think about these things
Bart Egnal: that calls to mind. I mean I have so many great memories of our work together but calls to mind. One time we were working together we were sitting around the table.
With a few of the other very senior executives you'll you may remember this and there was something in the investor relations process and I forget which CEO we were working with. It doesn't really matter but the CEO had had to be encouraged to take a different position on when speaking to analysts and.
I think it was you every looked around and said you know Bart we've all decided that you are going to be the one to deliver this to us. That's that. Well sounds great. Here we go.
Janet Drysdale: Yeah that's it. That's that is part of kind of strategic communications. Yes. In my view Bart is knowing that's who should be doing the communicating.
Yeah. For a specific instance.
Bart Egnal: I felt like I was moving towards the you know the firing squad but it all it all worked out. But you I do you ha you absolutely are a story that comes to mind about your ability to recognize how to make a point with subtlety. Another great moment. I remember we were talking and there was one of the executives really wanted to take a certain position.
There was a lot of you know heat in the room and . You then instead you could tell that going direct I saw you. You were trying to change this person's mind. You could tell that going direct was probably not going to work. And you said well I just don't think you'd look that great in an orange jumpsuit.
You know making a joke about you know the risk of going to going to jail. You know just the tension was just cut in the moment. Everyone laughed and then that position changed. So I. I can see you know I think your advice here on reading the room understanding how each leader how we if you're how you have to reach each executive is really well founded.
Janet Drysdale: I think you know and another thing I would say during you know that period I worked in investor relations that was the key learning is you know you rely on so many people across the organization for information and in this case what you want from them. Are the facts and the data but a lot of them want to give you the story.
Bart Egnal: Hmm.
Janet Drysdale: And it's very difficult to story tell a story. Right. Like we need like our job in IR is to figure out how to tell the story right? But if somebody's trying to spin the story to us it just kind of complicates things. So you have to be able to recognize that as well and to help people say look I I appreciate the way that you're trying to convey this but what I really need from you right now are just kind of the base facts and the base information.
Hmm. and great to have a discussion about. Share with me how you think right. This story should be told. But you want to make sure that you are distinguishing between what is the person's storytelling versus what are the facts and data because you need to be able to kind of take that base information.
Consider the way that somebody would story tell it and then kind of say well wait a minute I know this audience better. Right? Right. So again know your audience. Let me shape it. Right. Let me let me shape it. So I think that's another important perspective that was learned. So is
Bart Egnal: that unique to it?
'cause you know I can I'm putting myself in the shoes of someone listening and they're in their let's say early and mid career and they said you know Janet your first your early career you progressed because you went from saying these are the facts to here's my position. But now you're saying.
Only give me your position if asked for it. How should people reconcile these two?
Janet Drysdale: Well I think . I think again there's two sides of the conversation happening right? So I think you know and I applaud those who want to tell it in a story format a hundred percent. So that I don't want to discourage anybody from doing that.
That's what they should be doing. But when you're on the other side of the conversation you need to hear both right? Mm-hmm. You want to hear what's the data what's the facts? Tell me how you would story tell it. Mm
Bart Egnal: okay. Okay.
Janet Drysdale: But then you've got to you've got to now say okay well now but I'm taking this to a specific audience.
And you know there's very few people in an organization for example that will speak to investors. So it's a unique audience that you to think about now. There's also you know only a certain group of people within an organization that speak to customers
Bart Egnal: right? And the
Janet Drysdale: way that you interact with your customers may be very different.
And so it's important to understand that depending on who you're talking to in the organization they're used to speaking to a specific audience. And so. All I'm saying is when you're having those conversations you need to be able to understand the why and how they're telling the story the way they are.
You need to have the base facts and then you need to think about okay who am I telling this story to? Is it a different audience? And then what do I need to do to adjust for that audience?
Bart Egnal: Right? So it's not that people do or don't want your opinion it's that recognizing that when the audience shifts.
The story and the opinion may have to shift as well. Exactly.
Janet Drysdale: Exactly. Yeah.
Bart Egnal: Okay. So you've been through you've been through this process of developing you know these communication skills in the in the kind of intense environment of best relations. And you know you really I think it's fair to say reach a very high level proficiency and then you begin to think alright how do I help others find their voice?
Tell me about that phase of your career and that realization.
Janet Drysdale: Yeah I think you know I was. Quite shy actually in my early career. And you know I put my head down and I said well I just need to do the work and people will recognize that I'm doing the work and that's you know all I need to focus on.
and I told you already about the story just you know that first like you know well I want your opinion and kind of the butterflies that caused and the hesitation and feeling exposed you know or that I could be challenged. so I think. There's a lot of folks that feel that way when they're coming in in their early career.
And so I think it's important for us in leadership roles to figure out how do we help people develop that comfort level and how do we help them develop it sooner? Like it shouldn't have to take you know right. You know 10 years into your career to say wait a minute I have a voice. I can speak my voice.
Hmm. so I think inviting people to the table and
Bart Egnal: Janet sorry just to jump in. Is there a specific story that comes to mind? Yeah
Janet Drysdale: I think you know you're going to have this story every single time you have you know a big team meeting. Mm-hmm. And when I talk about reading the room it's this is as important in the context of looking around.
And you can see by you know body language. Mm-hmm. Somebody's leaning in but they they're hesitating and Right. Or somebody else just has a louder voice and they're over talking I think. From a leadership perspective you know part of our role is to create an environment of trust of safety.
Mm-hmm. So that people feel that they can speak up and share an opinion. so kind of having that baseline and I remember when I took on my new role as stakeholder relations and. You know like the first town hall and you know I have open door policy. Ask me anything put your hand up put it in the chat you know and you know we finished the town hall.
Let's turn to questions. Anybody has questions and it's crickets.
Bart Egnal: Hmm.
Janet Drysdale: and people. It was too soon. You know I was a new leader coming in. We had to kind of establish the trust. They didn't know me very well. I didn't know all of them very well. And so it took time. but I can tell you we were doing some work around branding.
A few months ago and you know there were people in the room that there's always people in the room that are very comfortable and very confident mm-hmm. To kind of speak up. And there are those that you know kind of you see them physically kind of leaning in wanting to talk almost you know almost mouthing words but nothing.
Right. Nothing actually coming out yet. and you invite them. You know so how do
Bart Egnal: you do that? Give me the you just say take me into that that moment when you were in this branding meeting how did you what did you say
Janet Drysdale: Hey you know Jennifer you look like you have some thoughts on this topic.
Can I invite you to share them? What are you thinking about? Right.
Bart Egnal: Right. And sometimes
Janet Drysdale: it's just that and sometimes it's kind of playing the mom in the room if you will. Mm-hmm. And somebody's talking over somebody else and saying Hey Bart like you've shared a lot of great stuff so far this morning but could I ask you just to stay quiet for a bit because you know Jennifer wants to say something and I'd really like what she has to say.
Bart Egnal: You're creating an environment where people feel safe and then you're also specifically calling on people Yes. To have them speak up.
Janet Drysdale: Yes. Mm-hmm. And again I think this is where once they've spoken. Right. It's also important to say maybe you ask clarifying questions if you don't fully understand you know their point of view.
Can you tell me more? Thank you for sharing. you want to reinforce the the behavior and so you want to make sure that they walk away that this was a positive experience. I spoke up I was heard. Hmm. And that's why when I talked about the communication at the beginning so we've talked about reading the room right.
But how important listening is.
Bart Egnal: Hmm.
Janet Drysdale: And so not listening cause I'm ready to respond or I'm ready to judge or I'm ready to question but listening to understand and I remember. You know I had the you know we used to do these budget meetings and we'd travel around and we'd we'd go meet the operating teams.
And I remember being in a room and I mean these two operating guys and I was sitting between them two you know big burly operating guys. and you know and they started arguing. And the voice levels were going up. Like I mean I it was getting to a point where I thought okay like you know people are going to stand up and there's going to be fists and I'm going to need to duck outta the way here.
Right.
Bart Egnal: You're not going to break it up.
Janet Drysdale: I'm not going to break it up. But you know the irony Bart was they were aggressively agreeing but neither one was listening well enough.
Bart Egnal: Hmm.
Janet Drysdale: And they were expressing themselves using different words and different examples. And because they weren't really listening they thought they were arguing they actually thought that they were had contrasting points of view.
And in reality they were saying exactly the same thing.
Bart Egnal: Right. Was a great story. So important. And they I love that they were almost fighting because they weren't listening. Yeah. And so that's maybe that that's a good way to kinda bring it full circle to your lessons. And I think you know we could take that point as your first lesson that you can't communication is really also about listening and reading room.
And it sounds like you know you're saying you have to be. As focus on what others are saying. And I like the way you said you're not just listening to wait to speak but you're waiting to listen. To hear. Yeah.
Janet Drysdale: Yeah.
Bart Egnal: Yeah.
Janet Drysdale: So for sure that's a key lesson I would say. You know I I've always told my teams there's no point to have a good idea if you can't sell it.
If you don't think we're all in sales we are all absolutely. In sales in world you're in sales right? and how you sell it is through how effective your communication is. And you'll recall Bart you know when I had the finance team I asked you to come in and help the team with both written and verbal communication.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And people were kind of scratching their head well what you know what is a. Finance team you know really need to be strong to communication right? Mm-hmm. But the finance team writes business cases
Bart Egnal: right?
Janet Drysdale: Right. They write you know approvals. We need approval for a capital project. And so I felt there was a really big opportunity here to help people that.
Don't view themselves in a communications role. Understand that everybody needs to communicate. Right. And to me a business case is exactly the same as a story. There's a beginning totally. The beginning is usually the data. Mm-hmm. The facts. Mm-hmm. There's a middle. So it's the meat of the issue. You know what mm-hmm.
What are we trying to achieve? How are we going to achieve it? What's the return going to be? Why do we want to do this? And then there's a conclusion. There's the end of a story and the end of the story. My expectation is you know when finance people are writing a business case is well what is your recommendation?
Bart Egnal: Right.
Janet Drysdale: And so my point here is that it doesn't matter what role you're in never never underestimate that. Communications is a critical piece of your role.
Bart Egnal: Right. And that ability as you said you're even if you're not in sales you're going to have to sell your ideas. Exactly. Whatever role you're in.
Exactly. Okay so that's a great second lesson. One more. What's your third lesson for people listening?
Janet Drysdale: I would say there's the downside of a maybe.
Bart Egnal: Downside but maybe okay what is this is tell me tell me about that.
Janet Drysdale: This is you know again something that you know I learned in investor relations and you've got you know 30 sell side and they're all calling can you do my conference?
Can you can you do a road show with us? And you can't do everything. Hmm. Okay. But when you're building relationships and when you're building trust and when you're trying to build respect for me if you're going to have to say no. Say no quickly.
Bart Egnal: Right.
Janet Drysdale: Don't say maybe don't string it out. Don't string it out.
You know? Did you
Bart Egnal: initially start saying maybe
Janet Drysdale: well I had seen it. I had seen it happen that way. Hmm. You know as I was coming in and I was learning and well maybe and I'll get back to you and maybe I'll get back to you and weeks would go by and then people would follow up and Well where are you at?
And well we're still not sure. and. I felt it frustrating that you know you know we were either struggling to make a decision or we're just trying to defer the decision or we just didn't want to hurt people's feelings. Right. You know like sometimes it's you feel like you're doing somebody a favor or I don't want to say no.
I'd like to say yes but I'm not really going to be able to say yes. Well let me say maybe for now.
Bart Egnal: Right.
Janet Drysdale: and I just feel like that's not the right approach. If it's a legitimate maybe no problem.
Bart Egnal: But don't be afraid to say no but don't be
Janet Drysdale: afraid to say no and in fact say no. And expressing the why of the no or the rationale of the no.
People do like to hear the why. Right? Right. so that's an important aspect of communications. I like that. How do I communicate it? Why am I saying no? what can I say yes to in the future? but that to me demonstrates that trust and respect that that you know. It is very much embedded in the way that you communicate.
So communication is to sell an idea. That's important. Lesson communication though is also to build trust and respect.
Bart Egnal: Hmm. And now so those are great lessons. Hard one through you know years of experience. As we wrap this here you are in this you know brand new I mean it's not a new role but it's a new role for you the most senior role you've held in your career.
It's a role you know as Chief Commercial Officer you're going to be applying all these skills. maybe I'll end the this conversation by asking you what skills do you think you still are going to have to flex and develop now that you're in this more new role? Because we've talked about you know mm-hmm.
The progression and what you've learned and what you've. But here you are you know in a brand new challenging environment. So what do you think if there's one skill you had to identify that's going to be important that you're going to have to nurture what will it be?
Janet Drysdale: I think it will be finding the right space that I play in.
Hmm. Okay. So I have a huge organization of very capable people and they know their businesses better than I know their businesses. They know their customers better than I know their customers. So it's really about. When do I need to be directly involved and when do I need to be the coach on the sideline?
Right? So it's really finding the right balance. Am I on the field or am I coaching from the sideline? Right? That's to me I think the important piece to find and ideally my view is more of my time is actually coaching on the sideline right. And letting my players shine.
Bart Egnal: I love it. Well and I love the fact that here you are you know at the at the height of your career and there's still some growth and communication to come.
Janet Drysdale: There's always lessons to learn.
Bart Egnal: There are. Well Janet thank you for sharing your lessons. Thank you for spending the time. It's a real privilege to have you on the show and look forward to seeing all that you'll achieve in this next role.
Janet Drysdale: Thank you Bart. Always a pleasure to chat with you.
Bart Egnal: I hope you enjoyed that episode of the Inspire Podcast and the conversation that I had with our guests and hopefully you left with some really practical tangible tools and tips that you can use to be more consistently inspirational if you're enjoying the pod. I'll ask you a favor. Please rate and review it.
I love the comments appreciate the reviews and the visibility allows others to discover the pod. It's really how word of mouth has spread The Inspired podcast to so many listeners and helped us keep making this great content. Stay tuned. We'll be back in two weeks with another inspiring conversation.
Thanks so much for listening. Go forth and inspire.