On embracing conflict with Leitha Matz

No one is a fan of conflict, including Leitha Matz, COO of FinTech startup Zuper. But Leitha discovered early on in her leadership career that it is unavoidable and so all the more important to learn how to handle. Tune in for tips on how to embrace conflict, overcome big expensive embarrassing decisions, successfully lead a remote team, and so much more.

I’ve jotted down all key takeaways for you below so you don’t need to scribble along as you listen. And don’t forget to download the leadership checklist featuring Leitha’s key insights at the very end!

Leitha Matz is an experienced eCommerce applications executive with nearly 20 years of experience in leading eCommerce, IT, and strategic integrated marketing groups. Leitha has built business divisions and solved complex problems for companies ranging from FedEx (logistics) to FreshDirect (online food delivery). She also volunteers as a startup advisor/judge with the eBay Startup Cup and a mentor for the Techstars METRO startup accelerator.

Learn more about Leitha: Medium | LinkedIn

Naturally, we all dislike conflict, but Leithe learned how to be comfortable with it from the get go in her very first position.

How you can embrace conflict:

• Woman-up to the task: Address conflict head on, don’t let it simmer and grow.
• See all sides: Be honest but also consider all perspectives and situations involved.
• Be consistent: Trust is created over time. Make sure to consistently communicate well to build up respect.
• Not everyone is going to like you: At the end of the day, not everyone is going to be your biggest fan. And that’s okay. Respect is the main thing, everything beyond that is a nice – but not necessary – plus.

The main way Leitha sees herself as a team leader is as a barrier between herself and outside influences.

How you can be an umbrella:

• More listening than talking: Especially as a new leader, it’s key to ask a lot of questions at the start to understand your team members.
• Do your homework: Make sure you know exactly what everyone is doing. Don’t make assumptions if you hear something not directly from them.
• Have empathy: Understand that in the same ways they are strangers to you, you are a stranger to them. Put yourself in their shoes to create trust before making changes.
• Keep outside forces out: Help them move forward with their work by removing obstacles and blocking interruptions.

In the same way that Leitha sees women shirking away from leadership roles, she sees them not wanting to deal with finance. But not only does having money give you greater freedom to achieve the your goals, negotiating for yourself will also showcase that you are business-savvy.

How you can leverage money as power:

• Bring it up: Make money an open topic for discussion, not a taboo subject.
• Discuss individually: Ask your team and colleagues why they don’t take on a greater role. Often they simply haven’t thought about it.
• Do a negotiation rehearsal: Before you head into negotiations yourself, practice the conversation with someone else.

Communication is one of the key skills for all leaders but even more so for those leading remote teams. Leitha finds nothing trumps in-person convos, but has found ways to improve working together remotely.

How to successfully lead a remote team:

• • Hire the right team: No everyone is the right fit for a remote situation. Make sure already doing the hiring process that it is a setting they can thrive in.
  • Keep ongoing communication: Don’t just get in touch for meetings, make sure to check in continually to keep lines of communication open.
  • Jump on the phone: Especially in situations with potential conflict, make sure to talk on the phone. It can’t replace an in-person meeting, but it beats written communication.

Convey emotions: When you don’t have a proverbial water cooler to gather around, you need to purposefully add a personal touch to interactions. Use those GIFs!

• Give the benefit of the doubt: Don’t read anything negative into statements as much as possible. Nuances get lost in writing. If anything is unclear, follow up, ideally via a call.

Leitha firmly believes that there’s a chance someone in the organization will see that you’re a star, but there’s a better chance everyone is too busy to notice how wonderful you are.

How you can create your own success:

• Open your eyes: Actively look out for opportunities, don’t wait until they are presented to you.
• Don’t become content: Don’t get comfortable where you are. Think ahead and decide what needs to happen to get you there.
• Step in & ask for it: Rarely will you be offered your dreams on a platter. When there is something you want, have the courage to make yourself heard.