Soft Sides
Soft Sides
Podcast Description
Welcome to Soft Sides, the show where we explore the intangible, sometimes emotional, soft sides of Go-To-Market teams.
The biggest challenge for GTM leaders is not the work itself. The hardest part is building the right team, getting alignment, learning how to navigate difficult conversations, and feeling that your work matters to you and others. Our first series focuses on "influence," featuring candid conversations with CMOs, CROs, product, and partnership leaders as we break down challenges and redefine influence.
New episodes are released weekly. softsides.substack.com
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The show centers on themes such as influence, team dynamics, leadership challenges, and personal growth. For example, episodes cover topics like 'Trust as the New Data' in B2B sales with Jill Rowley, the impact of AI on content marketing with Stewart Hill House, and strategies for effective communication with teams discussed by Kathleen Booth. The series emphasizes practical advice and frameworks for navigating the complexities of GTM roles.
Welcome to Soft Sides, the show where we explore the intangible, sometimes emotional, soft sides of Go-To-Market teams.
The biggest challenge for GTM leaders is not the work itself. The hardest part is building the right team, getting alignment, learning how to navigate difficult conversations, and feeling that your work matters to you and others. Our first series focuses on “influence,” featuring candid conversations with CMOs, CROs, product, and partnership leaders as we break down challenges and redefine influence.
New episodes are released weekly.
What happens when the person you’ve spent a year developing tells you they’re leaving for their dream job at Google?
For Olga, it was one of the proudest moments of her career. She had helped her regional director to grow and believe in herself in ways she never had before. And then she watched her leave.
In this conversation, we talk about how to build teams, why Olga took a seemingly smaller title for a bigger revenue challenge, and her framework for setting “North stars” and bringing focus to her team.
We also get into Olga’s path, how not getting the role she really wanted led her somewhere better, what to look for when hiring for grit and curiosity, and the best career advice she ever got: “Tell yourself you’re excited, not nervous. Your body can’t tell the difference.”
Connect with Olga Lykova:LinkedInConnect with Laura Colagrande:LinkedIn
Timestamps:
* 00:00 Introduction
* 01:21 Leadership and team dynamics
* 06:15 Early career lessons
* 09:56 Job market and networking
* 15:56 Strategic leadership challenges
* 21:59 Acquisitions and integration
* 25:49 Working with senior leadership
* 33:13 Career transitions and impact
* 38:41 Hiring for curiosity and grit
* 45:08 Influence Shout Out and Closing
One thing you’ll take away:
The hardest part of building leaders is knowing the best ones will eventually outgrow you. The reward is they’ll still call you when they do.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kat Heisler’s episode on Rules to Thrive. Olga’s former regional director, now leading Workspace Partnerships at Google.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit softsides.substack.com
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