Eric Herbelin is an international business leader with over 30 years of experience in insurance and other sectors.
Aside from his understanding of the day-to-day operations of global organizations, and his knowledge of their nuts and bolts, Herbelin is a highly sought after leader with a big-picture methodology and strategic approach.
“I believe in shared leadership and clear accountability,” says Herbelin. “At the end of the day, it is all about people,” he adds.
“If you look at it from a formal perspective, there is an organizational structure in place with roles and responsibilities. But beyond that, from an organic perspective, I believe everyone in an organization needs to be a leader. Whether that’s the CEO or a supervisor, or the customer service representative.”
Herbelin maintains that each member within a company is a leader at their specific level of responsibility.
“We are in charge of the business at different levels and we all have important contributions to make. What that does is build trust and allows us to rely on each other. We can complement our skills, leverage talent and build off the strength of individuals,” says Herbelin.
This leadership philosophy is highly engaging and inclusive of the various talents and diversity that people in an organization bring but it also requires employees to play their part and be active members of the organization.
“I fundamentally believe in the good of people and that they are willing and wanting to get involved rather than follow orders. For this approach to work, however, relationships need to be genuine and the right people need to be in the right place for what the organization attempts to achieve at a given point in time,” says Herbelin.
Herbelin has historically approached leadership through a wide lens. He always takes a step back to examine potential gaps and examine a business from every possible angle.
“Big picture thinking for a business leader is the ability to understand an industry, the market, and the drivers of success. You need to understand the customer expectations, the desired experience, and what works and what doesn’t,” says Herbelin.
At the same time, business leaders need to empower and enable their teams to make decisions at every level.
“The best strategy and plans will only materialize if the organization is able to assemble a great team and build an open and transparent culture. Managing change pro-actively plays an important role in that quest but leaders and people managers need at times to make structural and people changes to align the organization on its mission and goals,” says Herbelin.
Herbelin identifies as a natural delegator who empowers teams to create a culture of ownership. It’s about having clear accountability in place and with that, sharing leadership with people so that they are empowered to make better decisions faster.
There has been ongoing research into shared leadership and the benefits of shared leadership within organizations, both from a cost and operations standpoint.
The education technology company Valamis shared that a meta analysis found that shared leadership is 34 percent more effective than traditional leadership.
Specifically, shared leadership contributes to increased organizational performance, improved collaboration, transferring of knowledge and innovative thinking.
Shared leadership also increases job satisfaction and employee engagement according to The Journal of Social Psychology, which went on to state that shared leadership leads to team cohesion, consensus and overall satisfaction based on collaborative effects.
When it comes to transforming teams and creating ultra-profitable, high performance environments, Herbelin is laser-focused on improving team cohesion and decision making. He clearly outlines the core objectives and empowers teams to execute on a shared goal.
“I like to think of people and teams as business owners that have their own set of responsibilities and objectives with clear accountabilities, and are in charge of creating their own reality and their own future,” says Herbelin.
Herbelin elaborates and says, “I help create an entrepreneurial environment in which intrinsic motivation can be nurtured. I believe that by doing so, we get better results that are more sustainable and lead to better outcomes over time.”
Eric Herbelin’s approach to leadership is about empowering teams, helping them delegate and execute more effectively and on their own, and granting them the ability to make decisions which lessens strain on the organization.
“I lead the best when I am in a position where I can create a vision and the overall direction. I can simply focus on articulating what teams need to do within their own area of responsibility and execute and be the best at that,” says Herbelin.
“I support them and I continue to give them directions and guidance.”
Herbelin says he also takes time for himself so that he can maintain a big-picture perspective and think about next steps. In the meantime, he initiates a dialogue with leaders around him and with team members that are a bit closer to the day-to-day reality of business operations. He then provides them with additional perspective and information to inform future choices.
Herbelin is also heavily focused on the impact of aligned leadership, and how the potency and potential of an organization can compound when its leadership is aligned.
“If I have ten great team members who are leading and align them to move in the same direction, the impact as an organization is tenfold. It’s significant, and more effective than telling everyone what to do when they come in the morning and making sure they need to ask permission to leave in the evening,” says Herbelin.
Eric Herbelin says the goal of organizations should be helping teams see their career as a way to make a positive impact and contribute in the world and within their communities rather than simply a way to live or fund their lifestyle.
“It’s a purpose-driven vision,” says Herbelin.
“We all join a mission, we have fun, we are inspired and we lead within that environment.”