Amy G. Edwards on Staying in the Learning Mindset

Amy G. Edwards’ claim to fame is having done it all and seen it all. Having lived in Chicago, San Francisco, London, and New York, her approach is inherently global, and she’s worked on everything from podcasts to brand design to integrated campaign work.

Her former clients include Meta, Hotels.com, Augustinus Bader, Grey Goose, The Hershey’s Company and Celebrity Cruises. Her considerable leadership experience helps her steer the ship at Quality Meats.

When she’s not leading her teams, she’s the boss of two children under four, and sometimes, people wonder how she’s still standing at the end of the day.

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LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?

Amy> Does being the oldest sibling count?

LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?

Amy> It all comes down to your experiences as you’re coming up. You have good and bad leaders, and they make you feel it in your bones. You can call on that muscle memory when you are making your own choices as a leader.

LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?

Amy> I worked somewhere that had terrible internal communication. It was a small place and I was close enough to the leadership team to see the cracks and identify that it’s something you really need to work at to get your teams rallied around a common cause. That really motivated me.

LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so how did you work towards it and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?

Amy> I mean, I’m a Leo, so yeah.

LBB> When it comes to 'leadership' as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, how much can be taught and learned?

Amy> A lot of it has to come from your own desires. Not everyone wants to sit in that chair. But also, you have to work on it everyday (even if you’re a Leo). We all have so many blind spots, especially me, so I try to stay in a learning mindset.

LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?

Amy> Probably constantly feeling like everything is my fault – which, in some ways, can be true. The buck stops here, and I have to be accountable. But I work through that by giving myself grace – this is my first time as MD, I’m gonna mess some things up, but as long as I’m trying and growing, we’re good.

LBB> Have you ever felt like you've failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?

Amy> Maybe 100 times a day? You just gotta take the L, take the lesson from it, and move on.

LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be as transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?

Amy> Always default to transparency unless there is a legal or personal reason to keep your cards close. Quality Meats is small and mighty, so everyone hears everything anyway. It’s so much better to be out in front saying it in the open.

LBB> As you developed your leadership skills did you have a mentor, if so who were/are they and what have you learned? And on the flip side, do you mentor any aspiring leaders and how do you approach that relationship?

Amy> Many mentors.

Shannon Nunn taught me how to be compassionate and clear.

Katie Lee taught me how to have grace under pressure and show kindness and humanity.

David Corns taught me a lot, but most crucially of all, how to write a good SOW.

Melissa Tilney showed me that stepping into your power can be easier than you think.

In terms of mentorship, I actively try to show the people here at Quality Meats through example. Of course, we have one on ones and talk it all through, but I think watching it happen live is what teaches you the fastest.

LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?

Amy> That’s a tough one. Deep breaths pretty much.

LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your workforce?

Amy> I try my best to not only bring diverse voices to the table, but to listen to those voices once they’re here.

LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with increases in remote and hybrid working patterns?

Amy> Huge. We are remote-only, which is good (people love it, it helps retain our talent longer), but also bad (harder to feel connected, isolation is worse if you’re already isolated). We really try to have as much fun as possible on any given day, and keep it weird and light.

LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?

Amy> An old colleague recommended the book ‘Five Dysfunctions of a Team’ by Patrick Lencioni, which I think is a must-read for anyone in leadership.

I also dork out over goal-setting, and I’m a big believer in implementing some sort of OKR-style system.

Also, TikTok is a great resource (it can be harnessed for good!). I follow Grace McCarrick and Mel Robbins and they’re always dropping helpful nuggets.