Jul 31, 2019
Welcome to She Leads Podcast Season 4, Episode 14! This episode of She Leads Podcast features Talitha Beverly founder of HR Strong. Talitha Beverly is a diversity advocate, HR Professional, and workplace healer who leads her life like the Boss she is. To hear Talitha Beverly’s take on leadership, listen to her interview as she discusses ethical leadership, embracing our womanly powers, and having a growth mindset.
Talitha Beverly’ Bio
Talitha Beverly is a nontraditional HR professional with a degree is in Biochemistry from Florida State University. Her career began as a 3rd shift Production Supervisor making beer at Anheuser-Busch.
Talitha became a great business partner by working in the business. She has always been hands on to ensure I have a thorough knowledge and understanding, so she could train others on what to do, and how & why they are doing it.
Talitha was introduced to HR after participating on a Diversity Panel for women in manufacturing. She developed a passion for HR realizing she could make a greater impact in the business and people’s lives. Talitha worked for the best companies in the world; Coca-Cola Enterprises, Nestle USA, and Borden Dairy, and she has been exposed to cutting edge technology, world class business concepts, extraordinary leaders, and lifetime friendships.
Talitha became an entrepreneur to bring my world class business exposure to business owners with great products and services who need help with compliance, business organization, and human capital strategy. Talitha has had great success streamlining my clients’ employment systems and lowering their overhead, saving them time and money. Talitha has a deep passion for what she does and she believes Human Resources is her Marketplace Ministry. Talitha is a workplace healer, who fixes companies, stimulates the economy and rebuilds families and communities.
Nicole Walker’s Interview Commentary
I really enjoyed this interview with Talitha and I hope you did as well!
I agree with Talitha’s stance on the importance of being an ethical leader, which includes following through, building trust, and maintaining a good reputation. Ethical leaders do what is considered to be the right thing to do, even when it is not the most popular, profitable, or convenient. Making this decision is not always easier, yet the rewards of doing so are priceless. As Talitha suggested, “Don’t wish that it was easier, wish that you were better and don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more skills”. Determining what matters and prioritizing values is the key to leading ethically. A quote by Andrew Leigh reads, “To be an ethical leader is indeed to be different. This kind of leader acknowledges the complexity of running a responsible business, yet tries to do it anyway.”
I admire that Talitha was chosen as the executive of her dad’s estate, especially considering she is the youngest of her siblings. Leadership traits and capabilities do not have an associated age, leadership is defined by character. Talitha handled her responsibility by taking on and embracing the duties she was given to make her dad proud, all while she was grieving. Successful leaders get the job done, and Talitha did just that. Being recognized as a leader is a great gift, which can help to open our eyes if we are not already aware of this. People often see in us things we do not see in ourselves, which is why it’s important to be open to accepting feedback and taking on new challenges.
I can relate to Talitha’s experience of being humbled by her failures, as I experienced the same. Being able to self-reflect, realize, and then admit that you missed something is not the most fun or easiest thing to do, yet it is super important for continued growth. As Talitha mentioned, we need both grit and a growth mindset to sustain success. Failures usually have a positive experience buried within, if we are willing to dig deep to figure it out. If we want to be successful we must allow our failures to humble us which provides the power needed to work harder, do our best, and never give up. A quote by Amine Ayad reads, “Be humble to see your mistakes, courageous to admit them, and wise enough to correct them”.
Takeaway
Talitha mentioned the importance of holding focus groups and getting feedback on ideas and projects before deciding to move forward. This helps us to ensure we are giving our customers what they want and need, as opposed to moving blindly based on our thoughts. Understanding the true needs of others will help us avoid working in vain and missing the mark. I will make it my business to ask for feedback and support from others to get my ideas off the ground, as I do not want to do any work in vain.
A quote by Tennessee Williams reads, “Life is an unanswered question, but let’s still believe in the dignity and importance of the question.”
Leadership Challenge
My leadership challenge for you would be to think about the one thing you can take away from this episode and adopt into your life. I know it’s hard to absorb too much information at one time and it’s even harder to try and implement too many changes at once. When I attend a training or listen to podcasts I aim to walk away with a least one thing that stuck out to me and one way that I can change as a result. I challenge you to do the same! If you decide to take me up on my challenge I would love to know about your key take way. If you care to share please go to the She Leads Podcast Discussion Group on FaceBook and leave your comment under the Takeaway Thursday post for Season 4 Episode 14.
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Thanks and until next time “Be Empowered and Empower On”!