Here's how you can embody the key qualities of a successful leader in the customer experience industry.

CX is more about understanding the customer needs and the ecosystem they thrive in. Empathy is key to understanding the customer as well as their ecosystem in which they exist and operate on a daily basis. Perspective understanding and listening is key to getting the team committed as well as engaging with customers to provide the best customer experience.

To truly be a CX leader, you have to be willing to prioritize people over profit. Our customers are humans first, with needs to fulfill. If we meet our customers where they are and help them get to where they need to be, the business outcomes that we desire will follow.

Too often, organizations solve from the inside out, versus the outside in. First, decomposing what the customer and partner needs, when and how they need it, all with the objective to meet their needs and beyond. Second, decompose processes end to end, connecting those experiences. Third, connect your internal people activities, AI, and operations to enable those experiences and processes. If you start with your organization needs, you will be constantly plugging holes in a leaky bucket with disconnected and perhaps even the wrong customer experience. Leading outside in truly drives customer, partner and employee engagement in a meaningful way.

People First, it is that simple. Whether putting ourselves in our consumers shoes or employees, at the end of the day we are dealing with people and all the complexities it comes with. I’ve found it necessary to be effective as a leader, you need a degree of empathy to explore multiple perspectives to arrive at the best course of action or direction.

Through my experiences, I've come to understand that empathy lays the groundwork, but it's the emotions we cultivate in our customers that truly define a fantastic client experience. It's about envisioning the feelings—trust, joy, reassurance—that we want to instill during every interaction. This vision inspires us to be determined, collaborative, and hard-working in crafting an experience that not only connects on an emotional level but also embodies the essence of a fantastic client experience. By expediting the development of customer-facing features, we ensure our customers feel the authentic care and commitment we bring to every interaction.

To embody the key qualities of a successful leader in the customer experience industry, visionary leadership is essential to encourage growth. A visionary leader has a clear and compelling vision for the future of customer experience and communicates it effectively to the team. This type of leader not only outlines the strategic direction but also inspires others to contribute to that vision. By encouraging growth, you foster an environment where team members are motivated to improve their skills and take on new challenges. This, in turn, drives innovation and elevates the overall customer experience. Future-poof, future-ready and future-relevant is the way foward.

A leader with visionary thinking anticipates future trends and opportunities. By articulating a clear and compelling vision, they encourage innovation and resilience, enabling the organization to adapt and thrive in changing environments.

Je pense qu'il est essentiel de partager la stratégie d'expérience avec ses collaborateurs, de façon à ce que toute l'équipe soit bien en phase sur les objectifs. Que voulons-nous faire vivre à nos clients ? Quelle est l'expérience cible que nous voulons atteindre dans nos interactions humaines et nos interfaces digitales ? Toute l'équipe doit être alignée sur ces questions, et un responsable de l'expérience client doit s'assurer de cet alignement.

Focusing on the right metrics: NRR/CLTV/Churn matters: If you have 100%+ NRR and a churn of under 1-2% MoM, you have a great engine. Fix the simple stuff: Optimization work is hard but some things are easy… like don’t ask for expansion or upgrades at month 2. Reputation matters: Once the market identifies you as confusing, or not transparent… it’s tough sledding. Good leadership matters: Create and share the feeling of what it’s like to work for your particular organization. Leaders set the tone, both for the overall organization and their teams. Sales/Revenue structure matters: Build strong comp plans and segments based on industry vs. territory.

Ter um pensamento visionário é fundamental para liderar a experiência do cliente (CX) de forma eficaz. Antecipar as necessidades dos clientes e estar à frente das tendências do setor permite moldar proativamente o futuro das interações com os clientes. Não se trata apenas de reagir às mudanças, mas sim de definir o cenário da experiência do cliente com soluções inovadoras e orientadas para o futuro.

Successful leaders prioritize the needs and satisfaction of customers above all else. They foster a customer-centric culture within their team and organization, where every decision and action is driven by the desire to deliver exceptional experiences. They constantly seek feedback from customers and use it to improve products, services, and processes.

That's like a well-tuned orchestra where each instrument (team member) knows its part, creating a harmonious symphony instead of an offbeat jam session... It's all about making sure your message doesn't get lost in translation so: - be clear - be concise - make it fun for your staff

A comunicação eficaz é fundamental para liderar na experiência do cliente. Articular de forma clara a visão e expectativas para a equipe, além de ouvir ativamente e fornecer feedback construtivo, promove alinhamento e confiança. Estabelecer canais abertos de comunicação cria uma cultura de colaboração, levando a uma operação mais coesa e eficaz.

Communicate clearly, openly, and effectively with all stakeholders. Clearly articulate the customer experience vision and strategy to your team, ensuring alignment and understanding. Listen actively to feedback, provide guidance and support, and communicate expectations and goals clearly. Adapt your communication style to different audiences and be receptive to diverse perspectives.

In my experience, in order to effectively lead in customer experience, expectations and vision must be communicated clearly. Setting clear objectives, listening intently, and providing helpful criticism are essential. Open lines of communication encourage trust and allow team members to voice problems and suggestions, which strengthens the group's cohesiveness and operational efficacy.

Being the decision maker means evaluating the available information quickly and committing to a course of action with confidence. For example, during a critical market downturn, a decisive leader may swiftly pivot the company's marketing strategy to focus on digital channels instead of traditional advertising, ensuring continued customer engagement while competitors remain indecisive.

Focusing on the right metrics: NRR/CLTV/Churn matters: If you have 100%+ NRR and a churn of under 1-2% MoM, you have a great engine. Fix the simple stuff: Optimization work is hard but some things are easy… like don’t ask for expansion or upgrades at month 2. Reputation matters: Once the market identifies you as confusing, or not transparent… it’s tough sledding. Good leadership matters: Create and share the feeling of what it’s like to work for your particular organization. Leaders set the tone, both for the overall organization and their teams. Sales/Revenue structure matters: Build strong comp plans and segments based on industry vs. territory.

Em um ambiente acelerado de experiência do cliente, ação decisiva é crucial. Líderes devem tomar decisões rápidas e informadas, entendendo as necessidades dos clientes e o contexto de mercado para garantir o dinamismo e a eficácia de suas equipes.

Part of being a good leader is having the ability to make informed decisions confidently and quickly. It's important to gather data and input from your team, but at the end of the day, it falls on you as the leader to lead the team and make decisions that inspire teams towards the same vision.

Think, Consult, Decide is a model used to generate solutions determine the best appropriate action, particularly in the context of a cross-functional scenario. This can be extended or retracted to the time available for a decision but ensures some testing of the solutions before decisioning. The Think stage should be based on data and insights, known constraints and aligned to the business strategy. Consult should be carefully orchestrated with the appropriate number of key stakeholders, and include those with a diverse view to ensure breadth of thinking. Decide therefore should be a considered reflection from the Consult stage, coupled with additional insights and adequate validation of your approach.

Keep Learning. It empowers both leaders and staff to adapt to evolving challenges and opportunities, implementing a culture of growth and innovation. By embracing new skills, seeking feedback, and staying curious, teams can remain agile, with leaders setting an example by investing in their development to inspire the same drive across the organization. We love to use learning platforms such as Coursera for example.

This is ongoing commitment as the landscape of customer experience is ever-evolving, and as a leader, cultivating a mindset of continuous learning is vital. This means staying curious, seeking out new knowledge, and adapting your strategies as necessary. Encourage your team to do the same by providing opportunities for professional development and fostering a culture where learning is valued. By keeping abreast of the latest CX methodologies and tools, you ensure that your organization remains competitive and innovative.

Em um ambiente em constante evolução na experiência do cliente, a aprendizagem contínua é essencial. Líderes devem cultivar uma mentalidade de crescimento, buscando constantemente novos conhecimentos e incentivando suas equipes a fazer o mesmo para garantir a competitividade e inovação da organização.

As a leader you will be a role-model to your reports. Model the behaviours of the culture you are establishing in your team. Continuous Learning does not require funding in all cases, plenty of opportunities exist within your business for the team to develop their skills - working with other teams is one example. CX networks exist which provide future trends and useful articles, alongside plentiful webinars with keynote speakers and free training on subjects such as customer journey mapping or use of AI in customer service.

Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. Stay informed about emerging trends, technologies, and best practices in the customer experience industry. Adapt quickly to changes and be open to new ideas and approaches. Encourage a learning culture within your team and support professional development opportunities.

I have been lucky enough to have been a member of a team which was empowered by our manager to go further and challenge confidently in the name of customer advocacy. The key to ensuring you do not set up your team for failure is agreeing the following up front- a team charter can be used: 1- Ways of working (flexibility, core hour availability/out of hours working, contact strategy within the team, face to face requirements and frequency, etc.) 2- Established and agreed guardrails (developed by the team for the team) 3- Transparent operations with a no-blame culture to enhance opportunities for integrity and innovation in the team.

Empowering your team is critical to sustained success in customer experience. This means providing them with the resources, authority, and confidence they need to excel in their roles. When team members feel empowered, they are more likely to take ownership of customer issues and go the extra mile to resolve them. As a leader, it's your job to create an environment where empowerment is not just a buzzword but a tangible practice that drives employee satisfaction and customer loyalty.

A contrarian view - have you met CX leaders who are 'faking' it? How can you tell if the empathy is facetious? How often are CX decisions really about turning a customer issue into a money-making opportunity? How often is the 'visionary thinking' a rehash of what's been synthesized from careful research of other top-performing CX organizations? How can you tell when 'embodying the qualities' becomes an exercise in perception management instead of genuine CX leadership. I'm asking because I'd like to know.

Lead by example by embodying the qualities and behaviors you want to see in your team members. Demonstrate integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to excellence in all your interactions.

Embodying the key qualities of a successful leader in the customer experience industry involves cultivating empathy, effective communication, and problem-solving skills to understand and address customers' needs while fostering a collaborative and adaptable team environment. It requires a commitment to continuous learning, staying abreast of industry trends, and maintaining integrity and transparency in all interactions. Successful leaders prioritize customer satisfaction, demonstrate resilience in the face of challenges, and inspire others with a clear vision for the future of customer experience.

It's interesting how often the power to influence others is underestimated as a crucial skill for CX professionals. Crafting an effective CX strategy demands seamless collaboration across diverse teams. Hence, mastering the art of influence is key. Persuading stakeholders to unite around a shared vision is essential to navigate complexities and propel transformative outcomes that enrich the overall customer experience.