Tricia Cerrone

People don't collaborate in leadership. Not the way you think. I could see all the barriers to us being successful and succeeding in this project. I thought the project was really important, but I also knew this had been assigned to Edward. And if I jump in, it'll look like I'm taking over the project and all this other stuff. Our leader was just like, he was just happy to have us there.

People don't collaborate in leadership. Not the way you think. I could see all the barriers to us being successful and succeeding in this project. I thought the project was really important, but I also knew this had been assigned to Edward. And if I jump in, it'll look like I'm taking over the project and all this other stuff. Our leader was just like, he was just happy to have us there.

You guys will figure it out. And so we left. I was thinking, okay, so she wants us to co-lead and all the problems with that. We are a matrix organization. So he reports up to a different leader and I report to a different leader. And you definitely don't want one leader to have more information than the other earlier than the other. So there was going to be politics involved.

You guys will figure it out. And so we left. I was thinking, okay, so she wants us to co-lead and all the problems with that. We are a matrix organization. So he reports up to a different leader and I report to a different leader. And you definitely don't want one leader to have more information than the other earlier than the other. So there was going to be politics involved.

There would be, how do we manage the same team? And they don't go to one person or the other and say, he said I could do this, or she said I could do this. There's all those issues. And then there's just like communication and agreeing on a direction that you want to go. And at the end of the day, if something goes wrong, who is accountable?

There would be, how do we manage the same team? And they don't go to one person or the other and say, he said I could do this, or she said I could do this. There's all those issues. And then there's just like communication and agreeing on a direction that you want to go. And at the end of the day, if something goes wrong, who is accountable?

So I had all these things going through my head when Edward invited me to a coffee for us to talk through what the project needed first and how we were going to do it. I wasn't all gung-ho, like, this is going to be awesome. But I was at least 13 for, okay, what do I know about this new guy? And I had met with Edward a couple times.

So I had all these things going through my head when Edward invited me to a coffee for us to talk through what the project needed first and how we were going to do it. I wasn't all gung-ho, like, this is going to be awesome. But I was at least 13 for, okay, what do I know about this new guy? And I had met with Edward a couple times.

I had been in his office, and he was, like, one of the most helpful HR people that I had ever experienced. So in 30 minutes, he gave me a plan that was going to help me with an initiative I was working on. And there was innovation books on his desk. So I'm like, okay, he can't be that bad. We have some common interests there. There's a lot of savants and passionate people at Imaginary.

I had been in his office, and he was, like, one of the most helpful HR people that I had ever experienced. So in 30 minutes, he gave me a plan that was going to help me with an initiative I was working on. And there was innovation books on his desk. So I'm like, okay, he can't be that bad. We have some common interests there. There's a lot of savants and passionate people at Imaginary.

So corralling a group of us is not an easy thing. And I was in a session where he went leading some development and I was like, oh my gosh, they're going to just run him over. But he managed to get everyone on track. So I had those two positive experiences. But I still felt like we're really different people in terms of our personality and our background and so many other things.

So corralling a group of us is not an easy thing. And I was in a session where he went leading some development and I was like, oh my gosh, they're going to just run him over. But he managed to get everyone on track. So I had those two positive experiences. But I still felt like we're really different people in terms of our personality and our background and so many other things.

But we had that first coffee and Edward did a couple of things really well in that first coffee that helped me to relax. and realize, okay, so far so good. He understands where I'm coming from, and he's offering to understand how I need to communicate, what my time availability is, and just that little bit of generosity toward understanding me.

But we had that first coffee and Edward did a couple of things really well in that first coffee that helped me to relax. and realize, okay, so far so good. He understands where I'm coming from, and he's offering to understand how I need to communicate, what my time availability is, and just that little bit of generosity toward understanding me.

opened up space for me and my mind and heart to then reciprocate and to say, okay, what do you need from me? And then we made a plan to meet next. And that's how we got started from my perspective.

opened up space for me and my mind and heart to then reciprocate and to say, okay, what do you need from me? And then we made a plan to meet next. And that's how we got started from my perspective.

That was how long ago? I don't know. Is it 2013 or 14?

That was how long ago? I don't know. Is it 2013 or 14?

So it was a three-year project, which is rare in a way for people to lead equally. And so it gave us a lot of time to learn all the things that we probably didn't know about collaboration. But I think we had good intuition and previous, we've led, both led a lot of projects and things at other companies before. So we had some skills going into it. We had pretty close contact regularly.

So it was a three-year project, which is rare in a way for people to lead equally. And so it gave us a lot of time to learn all the things that we probably didn't know about collaboration. But I think we had good intuition and previous, we've led, both led a lot of projects and things at other companies before. So we had some skills going into it. We had pretty close contact regularly.