IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH LAURA BOUTTELL

 

Meet Laura Bouttell, a dynamic force in leadership development and a passionate advocate for personal empowerment. As the Managing Director of Quarterdeck, Laura is dedicated to inspiring individuals and cultivating exceptional leaders and cultures for her clients. With a journey as diverse as it is impressive, this published academic and author shows no signs of slowing down as she steps fully into her mission to empower people to become their very best.

 

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SO, LAURA, WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

I’ve always been a people person. I trained as a counsellor very young, and even when I was a police officer, I was a Family Liaison Officer, working with people who had experienced awful crimes against them or their loved ones.

I hugely enjoyed my time back at Uni when I was 38 but ultimately missed the engagement with people. My job is great because I get to help people be their best selves and have a more positive impact on those around them. And it’s not just in the workplace either. At Quarterdeck, we say you are one person, not two. When we help people become their best selves, we have a significant impact on all their personal relationships too. One chap arrived at our final presentation afternoon and, after finding me in the crowd, gave me a huge hug and thanked me for bringing his wife back.

That’s my story, I guess.

 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE QUARTERDECK?

I didn’t actually create Quarterdeck. My husband’s father started it in the 80s, and when he was ready to retire, he approached us to see if we would be interested in taking the business on. I had done our Inspirational Leadership Programme about 6 months earlier, so I was excited about the opportunity. I was due to start a PhD in London at the time, but I delayed that for a year to see how it went, and we have never looked back. Obviously, the course has changed over the years, but it’s still essentially the same as when Kris’s dad designed it. 

 

HOW WOULD YOUR BEST FRIEND DESCRIBE YOU? 

Well, my best friend, Susie, is my biggest fan, really. She’s recently described me as the most caring and loyal person, but we regularly tell each other how wonderful each other is. Everyone needs a Susie in their lives. Life can be difficult sometimes, and knowing someone always has your back is invaluable.

 

QUARTERDECK’S INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS PROGRAMME HAS BEEN DESCRIBED BY ATTENDEES AS LIFE-CHANGING. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?

I’m really blown away by it every time I hear it, and that’s quite often. It’s very humbling to think that something you have done has changed someone’s life for the better. I wish everyone would do it because I know it changed my life too.

 

FOR MOST BUSINESSES, PEOPLE ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE RESOURCE, BOTH IN TERMS OF MONEY AND TIME. AT WHAT POINT WOULD YOU SAY WE NEED TO CONSIDER INVESTING IN LEADERSHIP TRAINING?

I think training is very underrated. I wonder why businesses allow their people to underperform for so long when, with a bit of our training, they could have the best of them for their whole career. I think as soon as you know a person is staying with your business, you should be looking at some training like ours. It’s a win-win. People don’t realise the ROI they can get from training like ours.

 

HOW DO YOU HANDLE CRITICISM?

Well, a lot better than I used to! To be honest, at first, like everyone else, my emotional brain reacted to it, and I could be defensive. But now, having worked in the area of self-awareness and emotional brain control for so long, I actively seek feedback and criticism as it really is a shortcut to success. I like my relationships to be based on honesty, so I’d prefer honesty any day over someone who tries to beat around the bush. Obviously, some criticism can feel personal, but I just tell my emotional brain that its help isn’t needed here, and I and my rational brain get on with improving where we need to.

  

QUARTERDECK HAVE COURSES HAPPENING ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO STAY FOCUSED WITH SO MUCH HAPPENING AROUND YOU?

I very much believe in the power of focus. Multi-tasking Is multi-failing for me. I concentrate on whatever I am doing at the time and my time is very scheduled for that reason. Everything goes into the diary, and pretty much everything gets done when planned, with 100% focus. It means I don’t work exceptionally long hours, and everyone gets the best of me. 

 

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING TO CHECK IN YOUR BUSINESS DAILY?

My diary. I constantly check my diary to see if I’m doing the thing I’m supposed to be doing. 

 

WHAT’S YOUR SUPERPOWER?

I think accepting that life is all about strategies. It isn’t that some people have it all worked out, and life goes peachy because of that. Life has its ups and downs for everyone. I just know which strategies to use for whatever scenario faces me. I use box breathing often, which gives me time to think as it calms any emotional brain response. I suppose that would be it!

 

WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND DIFFICULT ON YOUR JOURNEY, AND WHAT WOULD YOU AVOID IF YOU COULD DO IT ALL AGAIN?

I used to find everything I do now difficult. It’s all about practise and persistence. There’s nothing I’d avoid, as what you experience makes you who you are.

 

WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR OTHER FEMALE FOUNDERS READING THIS ARTICLE?

I’d say we need to stop apologising for taking up people’s time, stop minimising our voice and physical presence, make sure those influential in our careers know what we have contributed, and give ourselves a break. The most important thing to do is to stop rushing and trying to please everyone. Stop, breathe, remember you add value, and take ownership of your place in the world. 

 

WHAT QUALITIES MAKE AN INSPIRATIONAL LEADER?

Well, there are lots, obviously, but I’d say the most important one is humility. You’ve got to know that you’re not always right and that you can learn from everyone around you. Being able to listen properly is also a very important characteristic. It goes hand in hand with humility. People often think that to be an inspirational leader, you need to be able to speak amazingly well in a room full of people, but actually, those who lead in a very quiet, understated way are often the best. 

 

WHICH MOTIVATIONAL SONG WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO ADD TO OUR CEO RADIO PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY FOR YOU?

Oh blimey, I’m afraid it’s probably been said before, but I love Queen’s ‘Don’t stop me now!’

 

WHAT DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE?

I know that I can learn something from everyone and that everyone is interesting. 

 

DO YOU HAVE A BOOK OR FAVOURITE PODCAST RECOMMENDATION FOR OUR READERS?

Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is still the best leadership book out there. There’s the answer to every people issue in life in there. 

 

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

My family. My daughter was very difficult to get and very ill when she got here. I am extremely proud of how Kris and I held together as a team throughout that time and that our daughter knows she is the most important thing in the world to us without taking advantage of that.

 

WHAT MAKES YOU TRULY HAPPY?  

Being with my family. But apart from that it’s doing something absorbing like reading and doing pottery.

 

If you want to know more about Laura and her work, check out Quarterdeck here or connect with her on LinkedIn here.