We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Patrick Sutton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Patrick, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Hard Work. Honesty. Self-Motivation, and how you treat others.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

Patrick Sutton has a unique origin story of how he found a way to thrive as a rising filmmaker while relying on his seasoned experience developing people. Many scholars have said that in order to be a great leader, you should hire a creative. Patrick Sutton would be the right case study to prove that theory right. My mom has always told me that I could do anything, I put my mind too. I was also encouraged by the fictional character of Erica Kane from All My Children that once stood up to a grizzly bear, simply by staring it down and uttering the words ” Do you know who I am?” Between the character’s strength and my mother’s continuous encouragement I always believed in myself. In order to be a people leader, two things are important…. One you should like people, and second they should like you. In college, I was a park ranger in Boston, MA. I’d never lived in Boston, but the opportunity scared me, so I went for it. I was in my junior year of college, and I would give Freedom Trail tours through the city of Boston. Well, if you took my tour, then you definitely were in for a treat. For 90 minutes guests would become star-studded tourists on my guide. I kept them engaged, and wanting to stay longer. Anytime I experienced self-doubt, I’d say to myself ” I am Patrick Sutton. I’ve always wanted to invite people on the journey in which they felt seen, creating space for inclusion was important. In 2020, the world and myself experienced a new obstacle. The pandemic that put the world on a Global time out. During this time, I had strongly been thinking of wanting to make a career move. How or where would I pivot? A dear friend mention that my years of People development and Leadership work, could truly be valuable in the tech community. There was no way I could make it in tech. I was questioning myself and reflecting on my work experience and I realized it was the fear again. It’s interesting how fear affects you in your 30s vs when you’re a fearless teen. I got an opportunity to join my first tech company, and it felt like getting that college acceptance letter all over again. I entered into the tech world and experienced a career Renaissance of my talents. Fast forward to present day, and I’m Head of People leading and building people programs at a FinTech, start-up. “I’m proud that I bet on myself” and I’d tell others that a reset is just a soft push on the refresh button to allow you to start fresh. I no longer doubt what I’m capable of, and neither should you.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Find out what your team values. I’ve been fortunate to lead teams as large as 25 and as small as two and the one common factor that contributed to our team’s success…. Know what people value. Some people value public recognition, some monetary, others opportunity, and time to be with their families. I believe you have to not only build trust with your teams, but you have to be an action oriented leader. I will show you that I trust you, when I give you autonomy over your work. I believe in letting each individual lead their own agency. I also manage from a place of empathy. Keep a log of important dates for your team. I remember one of my directs always took her daughters on a trip in the summer. I’d ask after the holidays, “Have you thought about where you going this year?” Taking a genuine interest in your team will increase trust and maintain a high morale. As cliche as it may sound, there really is no “I” in team. We are all humans and deserve to be valued and shown appreciation.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I strongly believe that 2020 was my ultimate year in pivoting my life and career. I did.a full inventory of what I wanted in work , life, balance. I also knew that despite being fearful of stepping into a new industry, [tech] that I would step fully into this new career pivot, and be authentically the best version of myself that I could be. I’m not sure if it was the zoom cameras, but I smiled more, I laughed more, and I made the most of everyday by allowing myself to be vulnerable with my team.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/patrick_speaks

Image Credits
self- Patrick Sutton