Helanie Scott, the founder and CEO of Align4Profit, Inc., is unmatched as a change agent, transformation specialist, high-performance team developer, and effective leadership coach because of her relentless spirit and desire for greatness. She has the skills and dedication to deliver and is vivacious and direct.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between CIO Affairs and Helanie Scott:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
You could call me an early bird. I like to spend my mornings in the natural environment of my ranch, feeding our chickens, ducks, dogs, turtles, and now our peacocks. Tend to the vegetable garden and extensive flower garden. Then I dive into research and reflection to find the latest behavioral science that will help my clients succeed. Most days, I deliver virtual workshops to audiences around the world.
My curious nature attracts me to other activities like new-program development, digging into behavior changes and interacting with participants via the Align4Profit habit-builder platform, coaching other consultants on best practices, and engaging with my external consultant network on industry-specific changes to watch and share innovative ideas and best practices.
Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the company?
I was raised in a small, South African mining town. By the age of 21, I had set out on my own in Johannesburg, learned the ropes of the big city, and purchased the business that hired me.
I began training actors and presenters for TV commercials and films. Soon, I began training executives how to act more agreeably in public, behind a microphone, and in interviews. It was then that I saw how leaders obsessed with rank and politics could hold back organizations from success. I quickly realized that to achieve success, some leaders needed more than surface improvements in the way they interact with stakeholders and employees.
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
In response to dealing with executives, I began researching and studying leadership and organizational development, emigrated to Canada and then to the United States, where I opened my Align4Profit consulting firm.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
My success comes from helping leaders create workplaces where everyone profits. I’m driven by a lifelong desire to make a positive impact on the world, and I have found a unique way to satisfy that drive by helping people, especially rising leaders, improve their leadership skills.
Reflecting on my approach to life and work, it’s clear that my experience working and thriving in many different cultures has made me particularly adept at understanding the nuances of how leaders of all ages and from around the world can rise to the heights of extraordinary performance. I believe we still have a long way to go in our society to capitalize on the unique points of difference people bring to the table and truly create inclusive organizations.
I value courage, honesty, and integrity. The CHI, or vital life force, of all successful leaders. To keep Align4Profit on the path of CHI, our team is guided by experienced consultants with the moral compass and values that support diverse workforces. The programs they deliver are based on solid science and tested methodologies. Each program’s integrity is revealed in its ability to achieve the desired behaviors that will realize our customers’ strategic direction.
Our company’s emphasis on CHI manifests itself in programs that help leaders find their own way to execute their organization’s strategic plans. This emphasis helps leaders align their personal beliefs to make a meaningful difference to their employees, stakeholders, and even vendors, and ultimately they have a positive effect on society.
Which are the major services of the company and how do they the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
In my ongoing research, I’ve learned that 45% of the activities people perform daily are habits. Everyone has a mix of good habits and not-so-good habits in their personality and leadership style. It’s the not-so-good habits that get in the way of individual and organizational success. For this reason, Align4Profit offers leadership development, coaching, and culture transformation services that instill the habits, practices, and actions to make strategy execution possible while engaging employees in meaningful ways.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
After more than 25 years in the human capital industry, the Align4Profit culture incorporates best practices, uses science-based methods, and other lessons learned from our multi-industry and global audience experiences to deliver sustainable behavior change. That is, behavior change becomes habit.
We take habit change so seriously that we track it. Tracking tells us where change is taking place in your organization, who are your super engagers and influences, and what impact the habit change has made on further growth. This data-driven approach to development also provides insights into how to pivot in real time.
The Align4Profit culture embraces a strong growth strategy in which we will continue to scale learning that drives leaders and their teams in more profound and cost-effective ways. The most immediate focus is on bringing younger talent up to speed to become even more relevant to all generations.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
To stay competitive, Align4Profit embraces innovation. When it comes to trying out new ideas, our team is not afraid to grab new opportunities. Progressing with the agile and flexible approach, we try out different ideas.
Our vision drives us to involve the younger generation in crafting leadership for the future, incorporating lessons learned from the pandemic and helping leaders understand and instill what it takes for people to perform at their best.
Learning and development is a crowded space. In response, we base our differentiation on behavioral science. Our habit-building technology provides a data-based approach to training and development. These insights are unique in helping HR and executives make sound decisions regarding people and culture.
Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes?
Individual heroics are fine and welcome, but well-run teams out-perform individuals in every case. With two years of research, we’ve developed a motivation model, called RAMPP, and use it to spark motivation in individuals and teams.
What are your responsibilities as the Founder of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
As Align4Profit’s leader, I insist on being clear on my organization’s purpose and telling the purpose story in a compelling and consistent way. Our purpose means making a meaningful difference in the lives we touch—every life, every time. These are not easy responsibilities to fulfill, but they keep my team and me inspired. Staying true to our purpose, we often discuss how we are meaning-makers.
While guiding aspiring leaders, I push them to have courage and take action, to chase their dreams without fearing failure. I would like to cite the words of fellow countryman Nelson Mandela, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Watching our team carry out these challenging responsibilities gives me my greatest feelings of happiness and satisfaction.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
Discipline and intentional action are the key traits that make stellar leaders. Creating a positive impact is also necessary for successful leaders. All leaders must thoroughly appreciate the “why” of what they do and rarely, if ever, stray from their stated beliefs.
At the same time, as a leader, you must create a balance in your life. Try to introduce new experiences into your family and business life. For example, my latest adventure—skydiving—is For me, the exhilaration of new, interesting, or unusual activities keeps me balanced. I also take time to travel (43 countries to date), entertain, see shows, or even just watch a movie.
