The Ontario Broker - Volume 22, Issue 2 - 13

leadership
WITH
PAM ALBERT
Consultant &
Executive Coach
JOEL BURGESS
Studio Director,
Capybara Games
how does this team work, how do they jive with
each other and what other opportunities do we
have right now? So we pivoted Grindstone from
a single player experience to an ongoing game
constantly updated with new content daily-a
model our studio hadn't tried before.
" We were able to adapt to working from
home, we made the game a better experience
for players, all while supporting the team, who
got to try doing new things. Two years later
that game has had continued success. It's not
something I feel I can take individual credit for,
but helping the team see that path and helping
them achieve it is something I'm proud of. "
LEAD FROM THE REAR
T
here are countless books, articles,
podcasts, seminars, and every other
format you can think of, offering
advice on being an effective leader-
there's practically a whole industry
built upon creating this content. As much
as foundational leadership advice will often
remain unchanged over time, there's been
a monumental shift in the working world in
the past two years which has required some
adaptation from everyone.
" The ability for leaders to think out of the box,
to be creative and to evolve has never been
more important. Leaders often have to embrace
change in order to survive and flourish in
changing times, " said Pam Albert, whose practice
as an Executive Coach has had her working with
top executives in prominent organizations.
The accelerating pace of change driven first
by rapid developments in technology, then even
more abruptly by the pandemic, requires a
higher degree of adaptability from leaders and
ultimately the companies they guide.
Joel Burgess is the Studio Director at Capybara
Games, a Toronto-based independent video
game studio currently best known for the Apple
Arcade game Grindstone-a unique mash-up of a
puzzler and a Role Playing Game (RPG). His ability
to adapt was tested soon after being recruited by
the studio's founders to his role in late 2019.
" I joined right after the release of Grindstone
in November 2019. Then the pandemic hit and
like everybody else we had to shut our doors.
We had to decide to shelf the other project we
were working on, " said Joel. " By then, I'd been
there long enough to get the lay of the land-
There's an old idea of what a leader does-
being out front, taking charge, displaying
confidence, making tough calls-and while
leaders will certainly have to do all of those
things, there's a less top-down model that's
come into vogue.
" It's important to know when it's the right time
to speak up and when it's the right time to let the
team take the lead, " said Joel. " I've seen people
in leadership positions try to brainstorm with
the team as though they're a peer, but what's
actually happening is the people below them
will supress their suggestions or feel like they're
being dictated to. You have to know when to let
expertise lead-they're closer to the work and
often more up to date. "
" One common mistake that leaders make is
failing to take the time to listen and think and
develop the best plan or approach, " said Pam.
" Some leaders can tend to delve right in and
even make decisions based on their gut. But the
best leaders are often the best listeners. "
" I think good leadership requires a practiced
absence of ego. It's natural for those of us who
find ourselves in leadership roles to have some
degree of ego, and that's okay. But when you're
doing the actual job of leading a group you
want to be able to consciously set that aside.
When you are representing to external parties,
defer praise and credit to the team. When
setting goals and priorities, make sure you are
putting the needs of the individual contributors
and the project ahead of your own. When you're
able to do this, your leadership goes beyond
superficial charisma or the brute force of your
own contributions, it will earn the respect and
trust of the team which is crucial to doing your
job well. "
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 5UME 22 | ISSUE 2
13
The Ontario Broker - Volume 22, Issue 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Ontario Broker - Volume 22, Issue 2
