Creativity is one of the most important facets of successful leadership. Creative leaders not only help the company thrive with their ideas but also instill a zeal for innovation and excellence among the team. They are experts in anticipating the future trends and modeling the company strategies accordingly. Lisa Smith, Founder and CEO, The Staff Room embodies a prime example of a talented leader remolding her ideas with creativity. Leveraging her experience, Lisa has been immensely contributing to the company’s unrivaled growth.
Notable Educational Journey
Lisa has followed a different career path to achieve success. After dropping out of school, she appeared for an entrance exam at Seneca College and received an acceptance letter from the college. However, after joining the trade program, she realized that the program was not a good fit for her and then joined Centennial College. She also joined a few night schools and Saturday courses and completed an HRM program at night while working full time.
6 years later, Lisa completed her post-graduation in HRM and started pursuing an HR degree from York University, Canada. She continued her education in the HR sector and started acquiring education in HR Law for Senior Executive HR Professional Certificate from the Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. She then attended John Hopkins University and received the certificate for COVID. Lisa completed a 3-day course and received a certificate for Infection Control for Caregivers and Families from the McMaster University. She has also completed her certification in Mental Health First Aid from the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Besides this, she has attended many other certificate programs. “I continue to attend as many certificate and other programs as possible. Keeps the mind fresh, young and educated,” she adds.
A Prudent Vision
Lisa started her career with a growing firm that had no HR representative. The firm did not follow the ESA and other legislations and faced human rights and MOL issues. It eventually encountered criminal charges. She left the firm to join another one, however, faced similar experiences. She decided to study HR and recruitment and later joined a recruiting firm.
As per the suggestion of her clients, Lisa initiated the process of establishing The Staff Room. With the vision to become a community of passionate professionals inspiring and facilitating the realization of excellence in people and organizations, The Staff Room was established as a GTA-based HR consulting company in 2000. Thanks to the success of the firm, Lisa is also planning to launch one more division under The Staff Room—AdvancedHR.
Ingenious Services and Solutions
The Staff Room offers an array of distinguished solutions. The company is known for its services in Policies and Procedures, WSIB, Health and Safety, Termination and Hire packages, Restructuring and HR Audits, and Recruitment and Selection for existing clients. It has an exceptional strategy that sets it apart from the competitors in the market. The Staff Room plans and implements HR audits to better understand what potentials exactly the employees have and what they need.
A review report is made after the assessment that includes the value each employee brings to the company. The report decides which employee is suitable for which role and whether an employee needs to be given a higher role or responsibility according to his/her value. The company also works with lawyers and thus the documents are reviewed before they are sent to clients. Lisa adds that suggestions are based on the discussion with the lawyers. The company also helps its clients by referring them to lawyers and other HR firms.
Unique Customer Experience
The Staff Room provides an outstanding user experience. The company is always upfront and honest with its clients and provides transparent services. It helps clients by giving references with whom they can contact directly. “We build trust among clients by providing the actual references and ensuring that the clients can contact us directly,” adds Lisa.
A Wider Perspective
Being a leader, Lisa must think with a wide perspective and a creative mind. Deciding the best fit for a particular position and delegating the employee with that role are the important responsibilities handled by Lisa. She thinks that every employee in the company has their own specialty, and the company can propel by taking advantage of these specialties. She helps individuals grow by giving them tasks that are not in their specialty and tries to take them out of their comfort zone.
Lisa oversees all the activities within the organization and is the most active person in the company. She gets involved in each aspect of the company’s daily operations. Additionally, she arranges regular meetings with the staff and undertakes various projects. She also welcomes the advice and directions from the staff to accomplish the tasks with more efficiency. According to Lisa, mistakes and corrections can teach a lot. “How else do you learn if not by learning hands-on and by making mistakes at a level that is caught and corrected prior to getting to the client?” she adds.
Success Mantra
A successful leader requires knowledge in different areas and the courage of stepping out of their comfort zone. Lisa believes in a ‘Watch, observe, learn, and grow’ pattern. She further mentions that listening to others is an investment within itself and helps in the development of a good personality. According to her, a strategic plan with proper implementation is a key to thrive as a powerful leader in the market.
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