#193 - Presence Before Performance: Ruth Andermatt

Most leaders can tell you exactly how they're performing. Fewer can tell you whether they're actually present. Leadership and self-leadership coach Ruth E. Andermatt joins Ryan Watts to talk about the difference between performance and presence, and why connection is what makes performance last. Ruth has coached leaders one-to-one for 28 years. Before that, she was a competitive athlete, worked in the physio department of a mental institute, sold for Xerox, trained sales teams for one of Canada's first cell phone companies, and spent nearly a decade as a director of operations. Ruth shares the story of a branch manager she was told to fire, and how one honest conversation turned his branch into the top store against plan in Canada within 90 days. She explains why leaders who focus only on performance get compliance while they're in the room and complacency when they leave. She also shares what executives admit privately that they would never say in a meeting, and a 90-second practice to use before every meeting you walk into. "Performance is very simple to measure. Connection is not." – Ruth Andermatt IN THIS EPISODE - The manager Ruth was told to fire, and what happened when she told him the truth - Why performance is easy to measure and connection is not - Power over, power for, and power with - What "coming home to your own power" means, and why self-trust is a skill - Rethinking performance reviews - Making space instead of adding force - The first signs a leader is performing instead of leading - What executives say privately that they won't say in a meeting - The quiet cost of a performing organization - A 90-second practice to do before every meeting CHAPTERS 00:00 Who Ruth Andermatt is 01:13 Why connection drives leadership and self-leadership 03:35 Performance is easy to measure, connection is not 09:18 Being with your team 10:41 Power over, power for, power with 13:31 Ruth's path: mental institute, Xerox, sales leadership 22:25 Owning who you serve 23:31 Why the top gets quiet 26:04 Coaching, counseling, and connection 30:33 Coming home to your own power 31:57 Rethinking performance reviews 35:51 The simple practice of being seen 37:28 Where self-trust comes from 40:35 Listening, silence, and making space 48:38 What to put down to pick your power back up 52:08 The first signs a leader is performing 56:35 The one thing to do before every meeting 59:50 What executives say privately 01:01:18 The cost of a performing organization 01:02:21 When the energy is gone but the calendar isn't 01:03:34 Stop harassing yourself 01:04:52 Why we need leaders who speak up 01:09:24 Self-leadership is a constant practice 01:12:12 Where to find Ruth CONNECT WITH RUTH E. ANDERMATT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachruth/ Andermatt Consulting Experience Inc.: https://andermattconsulting.com About Ruth: https://andermattconsulting.com/about/ CONNECT WITH RYAN WATTS Ryan Watts Coaching: https://www.ryanwattscoaching.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanwattsmba YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ryanwattslifecoaching THE PERSONAL SUCCESS PODCAST Show page: https://www.ryanwattscoaching.com/thepersonalsuccesspodcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-personal-success-podcast-with-ryan-watts/id1699785392 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0poXmaxpjA6ViNDy1KOh9c YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/@thepersonalsuccesspodcast Have a story worth telling? Apply to be a guest: https://www.ryanwattscoaching.com/podapp New episodes every Monday. If this conversation helped, share it with one leader who is carrying more than they say out loud.