Dave Mull

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Author: Dave Mull

  • The power of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

    Emotional intelligence is like having a secret weapon in leadership! It’s not just about being smart, but also about understanding and managing our emotions and how others feel. In this post, we’ll explore how emotional intelligence can make leaders even more awesome, creating a positive and successful team environment.

    1. Knowing Yourself:

    Great leaders know themselves really well. They understand their emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. By knowing themselves, they can make better decisions and be true to who they are.

    2. Keeping Calm:

    Leaders who are good at emotional intelligence can stay calm even when things get stressful. They don’t let their emotions take over and make everyone else nervous. By staying calm, they help everyone feel more relaxed and focused.

    3. Understanding Others:

    Leaders with emotional intelligence can understand how others feel. They can put themselves in someone else’s shoes and show empathy. This helps them build strong relationships and support their team members.

    4. Great Communication:

    Leaders who are good at emotional intelligence are also great communicators. They know how to listen well and speak kindly. They can adjust their words to fit different situations and make everyone feel heard and valued.

    5. Bouncing Back:

    Emotionally intelligent leaders help their team bounce back from tough times. They provide support and encouragement, helping everyone stay motivated and positive. By building resilience, they create a team that can handle anything.

    6. Smart Decision-Making:

    Leaders with emotional intelligence make decisions with both their head and their heart. They think about how their decisions will affect others and make choices that are best for everyone. This helps create a happy and successful team.

    In summary, emotional intelligence is like having a special skill in leadership. By understanding yourself, staying calm, understanding others, communicating well, building resilience, and making smart decisions, leaders can become even more effective. So embrace the power of emotional intelligence and watch your leadership skills grow!

  • 7 Strategies for Effective Decision-Making as a Leader

    The ability to make decisions effectively is an important skill for leaders and leadership teams. The choices you make have a lasting impact on your teams, organization and success overall. This is something many if not everyone deals with at times and for many reason. It’s HARD!!! In this post, I’ll share 7 strategies that can help you be more effective as you navigate challenges situations.

    1. Gather Relevant Information:

    To make informed decisions, gather as much relevant information as you can. Identify key factors, gather data, seek applicable opinions, and consider multiple perspectives. This comprehensive approach ensures a holistic view of the situation and supports decision-making based on accurate and reliable information. But be careful here, it’s easy to get analysis paralysis and get into a constant loop in this phase and never get out. Let’s just say don’t let “perfect” get in the way of “good enough”.

    2. Define Clear Objectives:

    Clearly define the objectives you want to achieve through your decision. Establish the outcome you aim for and the goals that need to be met. Defining clear objectives provides focus during the decision-making process and helps assess potential options against these objectives. This should include a timeline for the decision. Making sure things like this are time boxed, helps to ensure proper focus and stops things from dragging out.

    3. Evaluate Alternatives:

    Consider multiple alternatives or options before making a decision. Encourage creative thinking and brainstorming within your team. Evaluate the pros and cons of each option, considering factors such as feasibility, risks, and potential impact. This evaluation process allows you to make a more balanced and informed decision.

    4. Seek Input and Collaboration:

    Involve key stakeholders and seek input from team members who may have valuable insights or expertise where it’s applicable. Encourage open dialogue and create a collaborative environment where diverse perspectives are heard and considered. This collaborative approach increases the chances of making well-rounded decisions.

    5. Assess Risks and Mitigation Strategies:

    Identify potential risks associated with each option and develop mitigation strategies to minimize their impact. Consider the short-term and long-term consequences of your decision and evaluate the risk-reward trade-offs. This analysis allows you to make decisions with a clear understanding of the associated risks.

    6. Use Decision-Making Models or Frameworks:

    Utilize decision-making models or frameworks that provide a systematic approach. Examples include SWOT analysis, cost-benefit analysis, or decision matrix approach. These models help structure your thought process, consider relevant factors, and make more objective choices.

    7. Trust Your Intuition:

    Balance data and analysis with your intuition. Trust your gut instincts, especially when faced with time-sensitive decisions or limited information. However, always strive to balance intuition with rational thinking and evidence-based decision-making.

    In summary, effective decision-making is a crucial skill for leaders and takes time to get really good at it. For new leaders, embrace a learning and growth mindset, know that you will be wrong and learn from those and don‘t be afraid of them. By gathering relevant information, defining clear objectives, evaluating alternatives, seeking input and collaboration, assessing risks, using decision-making models, and trusting your intuition, you can make well-informed decisions that drive success. Continuously honing these strategies will enhance your leadership abilities and lead to better outcomes for your team and organization.

  • Building Trust and Credibility in Leadership

    Trust and credibility are critical pieces of effective leadership. When leaders are trusted, they can inspire their teams, foster collaboration, and achieve amazing results. In this post, we will review 7 components of building trust and credibility as a leader and discuss strategies to grow these essential qualities within your team.

    1. Leading by Example:

    One of the most powerful ways to build trust and credibility is by leading by example. Consistently demonstrating integrity, honesty, and ethical behavior sets the standard for your team members. When they witness your commitment to your values and observe your actions aligning with your words, trust naturally follows.

    2. Effective Communication:

    Clear, open, and transparent communication is essential for establishing trust. Share information, goals, and expectations with your team members, and actively listen to their concerns and feedback. When your team feels heard and understood, trust in your leadership grows, fostering a culture of open communication and collaboration.

    3. Reliability and Consistency:

    Being reliable and consistent in your actions and decisions is crucial for building trust. Follow through on your commitments, meet deadlines, and be consistent in your approach to leadership. When your team members can rely on you to deliver on your promises, trust is strengthened, and credibility is enhanced.

    4. Accountability:

    Hold yourself accountable for your actions and decisions, and encourage your team members to do the same. When mistakes happen, take responsibility and learn from them. By promoting a culture of accountability, you build trust within your team, as everyone knows that they are equally responsible for their actions and contributions.

    5. Empowerment and Delegation:

    Trust your team members by empowering them to take ownership of their work and delegating responsibilities accordingly. When you demonstrate trust in their capabilities, it fosters their confidence and encourages them to excel. This delegation of authority creates a sense of ownership and accountability, further strengthening trust.

    6. Consistent Recognition and Feedback:

    Providing regular feedback and recognizing the achievements of your team members is vital for building trust. Celebrate their successes openly, and offer constructive feedback to support their growth. When team members feel valued and see that their contributions are acknowledged, trust in your leadership deepens.

    7. Building Personal Relationships:

    Invest time in building personal relationships with your team members. Get to know them as individuals, understand their aspirations, and show genuine care and support. By fostering personal connections, you create a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect, strengthening trust and collaboration.

    To wrap up, building trust and credibility is a continuous journey for leaders. By leading by example, communicating effectively, being reliable and consistent, fostering accountability, empowering your team, providing feedback and recognition and building personal relationships, you can cultivate a culture of trust within your organization. Remember, trust is earned over time, and nurturing it is essential for creating a high-performing and engaged team that is ready to achieve extraordinary results.

  • Mastering Effective Communication Skills for Leaders

    Effective communication lies at the heart of successful leadership. It is the cornerstone of building relationships, fostering collaboration, and driving organizational success. In this blog post, we will explore the essential communication skills that leaders should master to enhance their effectiveness and positively impact their teams.

    1. Active Listening:

    Active listening is a crucial skill for leaders. It involves fully focusing on and understanding the speaker’s message, both verbal and non-verbal. By actively listening, leaders demonstrate respect, empathy, and a genuine interest in their team members’ perspectives. This skill promotes open dialogue, encourages trust, and fosters stronger relationships within the organization.

    2. Clarity and Conciseness:

    Leaders need to communicate with clarity and conciseness to ensure their message is understood by everyone. Avoid jargon, complex language, or unnecessary details that can confuse or overwhelm your audience. Use clear and concise language to articulate your ideas, expectations, and goals, enabling your team to comprehend and act upon them effectively.

    3. Non-Verbal Communication:

    Non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice play a significant role in effective communication. Leaders should be mindful of their non-verbal signals and ensure they align with their intended message. By maintaining eye contact, using appropriate gestures, and projecting a confident yet approachable demeanor, leaders can enhance their communication effectiveness.

    4. Adaptability and Flexibility:

    Leaders must adapt their communication style to different situations and individuals. Recognize that each team member may have unique communication preferences and adjust your approach accordingly. Some may prefer face-to-face meetings, while others may prefer written communication. Being adaptable and flexible in your communication style helps build rapport and ensures that your message resonates with diverse audiences.

    5. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence:

    Empathy is a critical component of effective communication. Leaders who demonstrate empathy understand and acknowledge the emotions of their team members. By putting yourself in their shoes and responding with sensitivity and understanding, you create an environment that encourages open dialogue and builds trust. Emotional intelligence allows you to gauge and respond appropriately to the emotions and needs of others, fostering stronger connections and collaboration.

    6. Constructive Feedback and Recognition:

    Providing constructive feedback and recognizing achievements are essential aspects of leadership communication. When delivering feedback, be specific, objective, and focus on behavior rather than personal traits. Likewise, recognizing and acknowledging the contributions of your team members boosts morale and motivation. By mastering the art of giving feedback and recognition, leaders inspire continuous growth and improvement within their teams.

    7. Transparency and Authenticity:

    Leaders who communicate with transparency and authenticity create an atmosphere of trust and credibility. Share information openly, involve your team in decision-making when appropriate, and be honest about challenges and setbacks. Authenticity in communication means being true to yourself and your values, which builds rapport and encourages open communication within your team.

    In summary, mastering effective communication skills is an essential component of successful leadership. By actively listening, communicating with clarity and conciseness, utilizing non-verbal cues effectively, adapting to different communication styles, demonstrating empathy, providing constructive feedback, and promoting transparency, leaders can establish strong connections, inspire collaboration, and drive organizational success. Invest in honing your communication skills, and watch as your leadership effectiveness soars.

  • The Importance of Self-Awareness as a Leader

    Self-awareness is a fundamental trait that distinguishes exceptional leaders from the rest. It involves having a deep understanding of your own strengths, weaknesses, values, emotions, and impact on others. In this blog post, we will explore why self-awareness is crucial for effective leadership and how it can positively influence your team and organizational success.

    1. The Foundation of Authentic Leadership:

    Self-awareness forms the foundation of authentic leadership. When you have a clear understanding of your own values, beliefs, and purpose, you can lead with integrity and align your actions with your core principles. Authentic leaders inspire trust, foster open communication, and create a culture of transparency within their organizations.

    2. Enhancing Emotional Intelligence:

    Self-awareness is a key component of emotional intelligence, which is essential for effective leadership. By being aware of your emotions and how they influence your thoughts and behaviors, you can regulate and channel them in productive ways. This enables you to navigate challenging situations, empathize with others, and make thoughtful decisions.

    3. Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses:

    Self-awareness allows leaders to identify their strengths and weaknesses. By understanding your strengths, you can leverage them to drive excellence and delegate tasks that align with your team members’ strengths. Recognizing your weaknesses helps you seek support, develop necessary skills, and surround yourself with complementary talents, fostering a well-rounded leadership approach.

    4. Building Stronger Relationships:

    Leaders with high self-awareness are more attuned to the impact they have on others. They actively seek feedback and are open to constructive criticism. This humility and willingness to learn fosters stronger relationships with team members, encourages open communication, and creates a supportive work environment.

    5. Driving Personal and Professional Growth:

    Self-awareness fuels personal and professional growth. By reflecting on your experiences, seeking self-improvement opportunities, and embracing lifelong learning, you continually evolve as a leader. This growth mindset inspires and motivates your team members to develop their own skills and reach their full potential.

    6. Cultivating a Culture of Feedback:

    Leaders who prioritize self-awareness create a culture that values feedback. By openly acknowledging your own areas for improvement, you encourage others to do the same. This fosters a safe environment where constructive feedback is seen as an opportunity for growth rather than criticism, leading to continuous improvement and innovation.

    7. Inspiring and Engaging Others:

    Self-awareness enables leaders to connect with their team members on a deeper level. By understanding your own values, motivations, and purpose, you can inspire and engage others around a shared vision. Your authenticity and self-reflection create a sense of trust and authenticity that motivates your team to go above and beyond.

    In summary, Self-awareness is the cornerstone of effective leadership. By gaining a deep understanding of yourself, embracing your strengths, addressing your weaknesses, and fostering personal growth, you can become an authentic and influential leader. Investing in self-awareness not only benefits you but also creates a positive impact on your team, organizational culture, and ultimately, your overall success as a leader.

  • Great Leadership: Empowering Others and Fostering Growth

    When we think of great leaders, we often picture the most powerful or charismatic person in the room. But true leadership is not about being the loudest voice or making all the decisions – it’s about empowering others and creating a supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

    At the heart of great leadership is the ability to inspire others to be their best selves. This means fostering a culture of growth and development, where everyone is encouraged to learn and improve. When leaders prioritize growth, they create a sense of purpose and engagement that can help drive their teams to new heights of success.

    One key aspect of great leadership is empathy. Leaders who are able to put themselves in their team members’ shoes and truly understand their perspectives are better equipped to create a supportive and inclusive work environment. By showing empathy, leaders can build trust and foster a sense of belonging that can help team members feel more motivated and engaged.

    Another important trait of great leaders is collaboration. Leaders who prioritize collaboration over competition are able to build strong, cohesive teams that are better equipped to tackle complex challenges. When team members feel valued and respected, they are more likely to work together effectively and generate creative solutions.

    Great leaders also prioritize kindness and respect in all of their interactions. By treating everyone with dignity and respect, leaders create a positive work environment that fosters trust and loyalty. When team members feel valued and supported, they are more likely to stay engaged and committed to the team’s goals.

    Leadership is about much more than just being the most powerful or charismatic person in the room. It’s about empowering others, fostering growth, and creating a supportive and inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive. By prioritizing empathy, collaboration, and kindness, leaders can build strong, high-performing teams that are equipped to achieve great things.

  • Thank You Dad

    My dad, Robert “Bobby” Mull passed away today (1/9/23). He did not want to have a service after he passed, so I wanted to share here what I would have shared with folks there about my memories of my dad but mostly focusing on all the things I’m grateful for. We grew apart over the last 5 years or so but I was able to spend a bit more time with him over the last 6 months while he was in a nursing home. I’m thankful I got to share a lot of this with him over that time so he knew I appreciated him. If you have a fun story with Bobby, I’d love you to share it in the comments below!

    My parents got divorced when I was 2, so I really have no memory of life with them together. My memories of my dad are mainly from the weekends I spent with him and time during summer vacation. I remember being excited for those weekends because we always seemed to do something fun or have some adventure. I especially remember the years he was single and it was just him and me on guys weekends.

    I remember our fishing trips, jet ski adventures, visits to gun shows, taking in figure 8 racing, squirrel hunting, paoli peaks ski nights, dirt bike rides, midnight White Castle runs, crazy euchre games, listening to your fire fighter scanner, river rope swings, water skiing, fish fries, cross town bicycle rides, trap shooting nights with grandpa, doing doughnuts in the snow, your passion for being a fire fighter, your love of my kiddos and so much more.

    Thank you Dad!

    Thank you dad for teaching me to fish and sharing your love of the water.

    Thank you dad for teaching me to hunt and sharing your love of being in the woods.

    Thank you dad for teaching me to shoot and have respect for guns and safety.

    Thank you dad for teaching me to ride a motorcycle and sharing your love of 2 wheels.

    Thank you dad for taking me car shopping and buying my first car together.

    Thank you dad for teaching me to water ski.

    Thank you dad for teaching me how to work on cars, change my own oil and change a tire.

    Thank you dad for teaching me to snow ski and taking me on a midnight ski trips to Paoli.

    Thank you dad for sharing with me some amazing cooking, especially the fish fry’s

    Thank you dad for sharing with me your love of adventure and doing fun things

    AND thank you most for loving me.

    You’re Son,

    David Anthony

  • Your Circle

    I’ve heard it said that you are the average of the people you surround yourself with. Similarly it’s said that if find yourself being the smartest person in the room, you should find another room. Both of these sayings in my opinion get at the importance of a growth mindset and getting out of your comfort zone.

    Whether that be working to develop your own personal board of directors. Made up of people that have skill sets, experiences and knowledge you don‘t have. These folks can serve as advisors in many different areas of life. Career, family, money, future, faith and anything else you can imagine. I’ve been lucky to have built relationships with a lot of successful people that often challenge me to think different and many times to think BIGGER. Sometimes you just need that push.

    The smartest person in the room translates to your comfort zone. It’s easy when you are the expert, have all the answers and are in situations you don’t need help or advice. But if you find yourself in that situation, there is a great chance you aren’t learning, growing or really in a position to level up. Putting yourself in the room with folks that are smarter than you, more successful than you and that regularly push for bigger/better/faster WILL push you to up your game and achieve more.

    You owe it to yourself to find ways to do these things. It’s important to remember, the things you do today WILL define who you will be in the future and often how successful you will be in achieving your own goals. Whatever those may be!

  • Fueling my “WHY” for Fixing Healthcare

    My “why” for wanting to be a part of fixing healthcare was further bolstered this weekend.

    This is me visiting my dad today in the facility he’s spent the last few weeks in. After years of dealing with depression, alcoholism and worsening neuropathy he had a fall that resulted in a broken shoulder. Falls aren’t uncommon for him, they usually lead to an ambulance visit and ride to the ER, but this one was different. He already required almost total care support at home from his wife but she simply can’t do it any longer.

    After going back home again after the shoulder brake a readmission was needed simply because he should have never been discharged home and his PCP said that was the ONLY way to get a referral to the needed place of treatment. This readmit led to a discharge to a SNF for rehab/therapy services. After 3 weeks in the SNF, I received a call and letter from the utilization management company his Medicare Advantage plan outsources this service to. It said that he no longer needs constant care and therefore they were stopping coverage for his stay and therapy.

    I can assure you he does in fact still need consistent care as he’s unable to get out of bed. He can not toilet himself even struggles to eat due to lack of mobility of his shoulders and arms. I appealed the decision but that too was quickly overturned.

    While the decision and letter are frustrating as it shows a complete lack of understanding of the situation. What is most concerning is the total lack of care management support, discharge planning, transition planned, you name it. Neither the facility, the MA plan or the outsourced vendor have offered any support. All I’ve been told is that we won’t “kick him out” because they know he’d be homeless but that means a $307 per day private pay stay until all of his money is gone and he can qualify for Medicaid.

    While I’ve found myself in the caregiver position, I’ve learned a lot being on the patient side of these decisions. I’ve learned how complicated it can be to get someone on Medicaid. I’ve learned about countless other things. But what I’ve also experienced is the deep need that many many many seniors have in what can be the most scary and critical time of their lives. This is way more complicated that’s it needs to be.

    I’m fired up more than ever to build a better healthcare solution that provides a more caring member and patient experience. We can and will do better!

    More to come on this journey as I continue to hear and learn how many people struggle with these challenges.

  • Today’s CFO role is different…

    I used to have a very different perspective of what it meant to be a CFO while I was in college and even very early in my career. I mostly saw it as an accounting role that closed and books and helped the company see out of the review mirror. Being someone that really like to be involved in strategy, preparing for the future and using financial data to tell a story, I never thought it would be a role for me. Even when I finished my undergrad with a major in finance and started on my MBA, there was an opportunity to double up on the masters program for a more finance focused program geared toward future CFOs and I simply wasn’t interested. I’m very happy I kept on the track though because I sure ended up being very wrong!

    Pretty much my entire career has been spent in some type of financial role. Even my internships were financial and investing focused at Invesco and Aegon Institutional while also working in a local bank through college. I got my first salaried job before I even graduated at a local hedge fund as a trader on the European desk and then moved to the sales side trying my hand in financial planning at AG Edwards and Sons. I later moved on to be an analyst in the treasury and investment department at Humana before being asked to take on a consultant role working to revamp Humana’s cash posting operation. From there I had an opportunity to be a branch manager at National City Bank. I ended up back at Humana after a couple years in the Medicare Finance organization before being asked to help seed a new finance team tasked with standing up a new region within Humana. After getting that region going and growing it to 2 states, I was promoted to the divisional finance team where I worked to develop new reporting and analytics tools to help providers take on value based care. I was then promoted to regional CFO where I got to get really involved in the operations of a region. Everything from BIDs, budgets, value based relationship management, MRA, Stars and everything else that makes a Medicare Advantage plan perform.

    What happened next was really a culmination of all of that experience which was a chance to be CFO and COO for a Medicare start up inside of Humana. The role and opportunity really helped me see what it was like to build something from the ground up. And to see how a stategic thinking CFO that was focused on performance, culture and leadership can really play such a critical role in the success of an organization. After serving in that role for 3.5 years I took a chance at a CFO role at a real start up, Honest Medical Group where I am today.

    I’ve learned so much through my 20+ year career about business, leadership, finance and so much more. But what I’ve really come to appreciate about being a CFO is that it’s so much more than I ever thought that it was. Being strategic, knowing the operations, being a key leader of the executive team and getting to work alongside some amazingly smart people is really something that so very few get the chance to do. Being a CFO is NOT about looking in the rear view mirror, it’s not about just closing the books and handling accounting type work. It’s so much more than that. So if you have interest in becoming a CFO, learn the operations, learn what makes the company tick, learn about strategy and how all of these things impact the financial performance of a business. You will be better for it and have even better opportunities to reach your goals and help your business reach it’s goals.

    If you’d like to learn more about my experience or just have questions about your own path, reach out, I’d love to share, coach, consult or help in any way I can.

    Dave