Leaders Unscripted

33: Building & Leading Teams Without Functional Expertise with Edwina Johnson

Nov 14, 2023

Edwina Johnson, GM of MoneyGram Online International, shares her experience building and leading teams without functional expertise. She discusses the challenges and rewards of managing a cross-functional team, prioritizing hires, and overcoming self-doubt as a jack of all trades. The podcast also explores the complexities of compliance in the fintech industry and the power of analytical thinking in team building and leadership.

37:05

Episode guests

Edwina Johnson

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Quick takeaways

Leading others doesn't require discipline expertise, as seen in Edwina Johnson's experience as COO at Alloy.

Cross-functional teams allow for impactful problem-solving, diverse collaboration, and a sense of teamwork.

Deep dives

Leading Without Functional Expertise

Leading others does not necessarily require discipline expertise, as demonstrated by Edwina Johnson's experience as the COO of FinTech Startup Alloy.

How to Manage a Cross-Functional Team

01:20

How I Shaped the COO Role Going Forward

01:20

Introduction

2min

Building and Leading Teams Without Discipline Expertise

15min

Building a Compliance Team in the Fintech Industry

3min

The Power of Analytical Thinking in Team Building and Leadership

12min

Reflections on the Journey and Role of a COO

3min

The Role of a COO in Thinking Organizationally and Facilitating Business Growth

2min

The COO role is utterly unique, demanding multidisciplinary mastery.

It begs expertise where you may have none, to become a cross-functional manager, and Edwina Johnson’s tenure at Alloy had seen her thrive in achieving exactly that

Edwina, now thriving as GM of MoneyGram Online International, joins us for this episode of Leaders Unscripted, as we dive into the art of building, leading and growing teams outside of your expertise.

This episode covers:

Edwina’s grounding as a business builder wearing many hats
How unexpectedly early businesses can bring in an operational role
Overcoming the inner self-doubt of hiring experts as a jack of all trades
Prioritising which hires should come first
The challenges and rewards of managing a cross-functional team

Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

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Leaders Unscripted

33: Building & Leading Teams Without Functional Expertise with Edwina Johnson

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Leading Without Functional Expertise

The Strength of COOs at Working Cross-Functionally

Hiring Experts in Areas of Inexperience

The Rewards of Leading Cross-Functional Teams

How to Manage a Cross-Functional Team

How I Shaped the COO Role Going Forward

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts