Meet Garry – the Associate with a passion for empowering EO
Meet Garry – he’s as passionate about developing good leaders as he is about his motorbike… and that’s saying something. His ‘dream job’ would combine the two but, until that happy day, he’s focused on the next big date in his diary: the start of 2023’s first Empowering EO leaders course which JGA is delivering in partnership with Telos and the EOA.
It’s an immersive development programme that’s particularly relevant today, when companies are keen to make the most of the commercial and cultural advantages of being EO.
Garry is experienced in unlocking both. He also understands the difficult context in which investment decisions are being made, having led in an EO business during the 2008 financial crash.
Developing EO leaders in a recession
As he explains: ‘I know how it feels when you have to rail back, overnight, on budgets and the commitments you’ve made. Yet this is exactly the time when businesses should be investing in their leadership development. The busier your leaders are the more time they should take out to plan and focus on their growth mindset.
‘It’s about the impact an empowering EO leader or manager can have on efficiency, contribution and productivity by inspiring people to feel a true sense of responsibility for their business.’
Garry’s expertise in developing EO leaders stems from his previous career with the John Lewis Partnership, where he honed his commercial, people and coaching skills. His roles in Group HR with Waitrose saw him involved in recruiting, building and developing teams across more than 20 business units, including new and acquired branches.
Achieving results in an EO way
‘I had the opportunity to develop and determine which individuals had the calibre to take the business forward – to build the engagement that would enable them, as leaders, to drive commercial success through their people,’ he explains.
‘When appointing a leader I focused on the way they achieved their results, not just what they achieved. It was essential that their behaviours and impact on others supported the desired EO culture.’
He also worked on change programmes that involved supporting fellow employee owners to leave the business through redundancy – an aspect of EO leadership he agrees can feel very ‘tough’.
Unlocking leaders’ understanding of EO
Yet the part of his work Garry most enjoyed then remains the part of his work he loves now: the ‘people’ side.
‘It’s seeing individuals inspired to take the next steps. Enabling teams who feel stuck to move forward. Renewing confidence and self-belief. Encouraging people to be curious,’ he says.
‘I love working with people who just don’t ‘get’ EO at that moment when they suddenly do, then watching them go on to play a leading role. The challenge is to identify the most effective way to engage at all levels. There’s no one size fits all and that energises my role.’
‘I love working with people who just don’t ‘get’ EO at that moment when they suddenly do, then watching them go on to play a leading role. The challenge is to identify the most effective way to engage... There’s no one size fits all and that energises my role’
Garry Davis, JGA Associate
Empowering leaders to engage their teams
With that in mind, Garry is in his element co-delivering the Empowering EO Leaders course through EO Learn.
This five-session virtual programme supports leaders and managers in EO businesses to develop a growth mindset and leadership capability to create high-performing teams. The next one runs from 19 January to March, with more planned throughout the year [book here].
‘There are challenges on a virtual programme,’ Garry agrees, ‘but, as a facilitator, part of my role is to help create the ‘Velcro’ for learning. A virtual programme also enables delegates from a wide range of organisations to connect and learn from each other.’
Previous cohorts have highlighted the value of the programme’s peer group connections and ‘light bulb moments’, while Garry’s satisfaction lies in seeing individuals’ confidence and understanding of EO leadership grow.
It’s one of the things that brings his working days to life. Here Garry reveals the other five…
Coffee, dog walks – and the open road
Remembering why I’m working – to fund my motorbike rides across Europe!
Coffee, coffee, coffee – I have 300 ways of making it in my AeroPress but I do trash the kitchen. I’ve even got it on the ceiling.
A conversation with someone who’s curious. It could be about anything.
Radio 2’s PopMaster. It’s a 10-minute quiz at 10.30am, weekdays. I try not to book anything in then.
My daily dog walks. I live on the edge of Winnie the Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood in East Sussex. Each day it’s different and I love it.
But it’s not all about motorbikes, coffee and dogs because in his free time Garry is a volunteer who spends time with offenders in a local prison on a victim awareness and restorative justice programme. Through this work, he increases their understanding of the ripple effect of crime and supports them to choose a different path on release. He also volunteers his professional mediation skills in family and neighbourhood disputes.
If you’d like to know more about how JGA can support you and your organisation through our Transition, People and Governance services, get in touch here.