WOMEN AT
24
THE TOP
Leann Reynolds
President, Homewatch CareGivers
recruiting to elevate the staff. The One
Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and
Spencer Johnson has taught me how to
answer a question with a question and
get people thinking strategically. The
Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni has given
me a better understanding of getting
to the next level, how to go from good
to great. The secrets are building trust
and having healthy conflict.
How has your life experience made
you the leader you are today?
I spent a large part of my career in
IT management, focused on process
improvement and client satisfaction
for large tech firms. In that capacity, I
learned some really relevant business
and leadership skills, but the experience
of running an international home care
franchise company was a new challenge
for me. In 2003, I bought my own
Homewatch CareGivers franchise in
Portland because I wanted to be part
of an organization I admired. I had
been exposed to the brand for practically my entire life and saw firsthand
how the dedication and vision of my
father (Paul Sauer, who founded the
company) came to fruition. Growing and managing my own successful
home care business really prepared me
for my current role as president of the
entire organization. When my father
decided to retire in 2006, I stepped in
as president and continued to build on
the strong foundation he established.
With the mission and values of the organization already in place, my job was
to work with the leadership team and
our franchise partners to establish a
strong vision for the next phase of our
company’s history: quality growth. To
that end, I pulled together a collaborative, experienced leadership team and
a committed support staff.
Role models? Certainly my dad is a
huge inspiration and influencer in my
life. For as long as I can remember, he
taught me to set goals for myself and to
look beyond short-term achievements
to long-term successes. He introduce @