UnLeadership

46Leadership Is Telling the Right Story

With over a decade of experience, Derek Schoen is a seasoned leader in the world of marketing and team management. Currently overseeing advertising and social media strategy within the hospitality sector, he is known for a relentless pursuit of innovation and creating healthy work environments.

(Highlights from our interview, recorded May 22, 2023.)

I'VE BUILT MY CAREER ON innovation, trying new things, and seeing if we can see them through. For a leader, risk-taking means being willing to put yourself out there and accept, loudly and vocally, when innovation works and doesn't. Follow-through is the key. Many people with great ideas throw them out in a meeting and walk away without concern for the mess they've left. To be a leader, you have to be ready to put in the hard work, follow through, and build a team. You need to be ready to see the idea through to the next step and deliver on innovation.

A leader has to be willing to fight for the resources needed and invest in their team's professional growth and development. Otherwise, they are heading for burnout. I'm a marketer, first and foremost. Even when communicating internally, it's marketing, selling the right story to the right leader to get the resources I need for my team. Our CCO, CFO, and CEO each have their own take on the business they run. I have to tell the right story, bring up relevant points and how we're impacting their piece of the business. You have to understand ...