Mikhail Lvovskii's Journey: A Tale of Transformative Leadership
Shaping a Revolutionary HR Journey: Mikhail Lvovskii Discusses Leadership, Creativity, and LeanPeople's 10-Pronged Model's Progression
Sit down and grab a brew as Mikhail Lvovskii shares his incredible 20-year journey from an accounting auditor to an HR leader and founder of LeanPeople. In this engaging interview, he'll dive deep into his passion for transformative leadership, the foundational principles of LeanPeople's 10-Factor Model, and navigating the obstacles of team transformation. So, let's dive in!
Behind the Scenes: Mikhail's Story
Beginning in the finance world, Mikhail found himself drawn to the human dynamics and organizational strategies that whisper beneath spreadsheets and reports. Leveraging his sales skills, he transitioned from being an accounting and audit specialist to becoming a sought-after HR leader, working in various corporate roles and conquering multinational corporations.
After numerous transformative journeys in leadership and culture, Mikhail recognized his waning excitement for steady corporate growth. And that's where the idea for LeanPeople was born!
The LeanPeople's 10-Factor Model: A Holistic Approach
The 10-Factor Model is the backbone of LeanPeople, providing an exhaustive formula for achieving organizational success through leadership, culture, and organizational structure. This comprehensive approach allows companies to address their pain points, optimize performance, and foster effective, high-performing teams.
At the core of this model lies the belief that leadership and culture are crucial components of successful teams. While each factor may not be a standalone "magic wand," ignoring even one can hamper overall progress. So, whether you're dealing with organizational structure, employee capabilities, or talent utilization—name it—leaning in to all factors is integral for peak performance.
Taming Dragons: Common Obstacles in Team Transformation
Mikhail's work at Electrolux and other ventures has given him a wealth of experience in transforming underperforming teams. Identifying common obstacles is crucial for conquering them effectively. In his view, there are five primary hurdles leaders often face:
- Fear of ruining what exists
- Lack of basic change management capability
- Ineffective communication
- Resistance from employees
- Moral considerations hindering addressing issues directly
- Unrealistic expectations or a failure to persist through the process
These obstacles may come in many shapes and sizes, but their roots are intertwined in fear, miscommunication, and resistance.
Climbing the Strategic Excellence Ladder
From daily firefighting to strategic excellence—Mikhail believes that leaders can chart a path to success by focusing on self-awareness and analyzing their personal effectiveness. If you find that your calendar is bogged down with time-wasting tasks or notice an imbalance between effort and impact, it's time to make some changes.
Deciding what to abandon, delegate, or transform is the first step towards achieving strategic excellence. As a leader, it's crucial to prioritize actions driven by beliefs and principles rather than throwing yourself into endless tasks.
A Unique Fusion: Insights from Sandro and Mikhail
In the quest to create LeanPeople, Mikhail drew on valuable insights from his co-founder, Sandro Guidi. Sharing strengths from their distinct backgrounds, they've shaped a holistic approach that combines Mikhail's corporate experience with Sandro's expertise in executive search, headhunting, and recruitment.
Their goal is to merge forces and bring transformative services to corporate clients, helping them unlock their full potential and create winning teams.
Aligning Values and Goals: The Key to Success
At the heart of LeanPeople's model are employee engagement and a values-driven culture. To measure the intangible qualities of a team and ensure they align with organizational goals, Mikhail advocates for regular employee engagement surveys and pulse surveys.
It's essential to explore results, verify unclear points, and work diligently to improve areas of concern. Once a company embraces a values-driven culture, their employees will thrive, and the organization will shine.
Taming the Beast of Complexity: A Fast-Paced Journey
In fast-paced, complex organizations, aligning structures, processes, and culture can be a daunting challenge. However, Mikhail's solution is simple: approach it holistically and systematically.
Take fintech companies, for example. When shaping processes, it's important to maintain flexibility for continuous improvement and experimentation while defining clear roles and responsibilities. As structures evolve, balance must be maintained between clarity and flexibility to keep the organization thriving.
Ultimately, it's essential to make sure every element—be it structure, process, or culture—fits the situation and finds the right balance in context.
A Roadmap for Success: Expert Advice for CEOs and Business Owners
To create a performance roadmap that drives results, embraces continuous improvement, and supports learning, Mikhail offers CEOs and business owners the following advice:
- Refrain from seeking a magic solution—there's no one-size-fits-all approach to success.
- Start by self-assessing and asking yourself these vital questions:
- Are you ready to start changing yourself?
- Can you handle potential turmoil during the transformation process?
- Can you trust your team, or do you need to build trust first?
- What transformation capability do you require to make it a success?
- Be realistic about your resources—many change initiatives fail due to inadequate support.
So, are you ready to take the leap and build a performance roadmap for your organization? Mikhail's wisdom and expertise are waiting to help you reach new heights!
Connect with Mikhail Lvovskii on LinkedIn and LeanPeople for more information, insights, and ideas to catapult your organization to success.
Also, read these fascinating interviews:
- Stephane Boukris: The French Entrepreneur
- Ramneek Ahluwalia Interview: CEO of Higher Health
- A Conversation with Founder Sandro Gerber
- Mikhail Lvovskii's experiences in the finance world stirred his passion for understanding the human dynamics and organizational strategies behind spreadsheets and reports, ultimately leading him to transform from an accounting and audit specialist to an HR leader.
- LeanPeople's 10-Factor Model emphasizes the importance of leadership, culture, and organizational structure in achieving organizational success, suggesting that ignoring any one factor can hinder overall progress.
- In his work, Mikhail identifies five common obstacles in team transformation: fear of ruining what exists, lack of basic change management capability, ineffective communication, resistance from employees, moral considerations hindering addressing issues directly, and unrealistic expectations or a failure to persist through the process.
- To achieve strategic excellence, leaders should focus on self-awareness and analyze their personal effectiveness, deciding what to abandon, delegate, or transform to prioritize actions driven by beliefs and principles.
- LeanPeople's mission is to combine Mikhail's corporate experience with Sandro Guidi's expertise in executive search, headhunting, and recruitment, providing transformative services that help corporate clients unlock their full potential and create winning teams.
