‘Listen To Your Gut, Even if It Goes Against the Grain’: How I Grew Into a Director Role

“Listen to your gut, and always share your opinion, even if it goes against the grain,” says Kristin DeCamp the Director of Enterprise Account Management at Motus LLC, a leading anywhere workforce management company.

For DeCamp, respect and transparency are the keys to her success as a leader. “I'm an open book,” she explains. “I create a very ‘flat’ team environment; I'm not into hierarchies. I respect my team, and they respect me. We all learn together and climb the same mountain of renewals and upsells together!” 

As a result of her leadership style, DeCamp and her team excel. But how did she come into her own as a leader? And how does she best support her team? In this article, DeCamp details her leadership journey and best advice for others who are interested in expanding their own leadership skills.

Tell us about your job.

I’m the Director of Enterprise Account Management. I have a team of eight stellar Enterprise Account Managers who oversee our account base. Our team is responsible for upselling/cross-selling to our customers, as well as renewing them. 

I’ve been at Motus for almost 10 years and held a variety of roles, including leadership roles across customer service teams, as well as corporate strategy.

What has enabled you to develop your career?

I’ve been very fortunate to grow professionally at Motus over the last 9-10 years by being able to step into several different positions. Motus grew from ~40 employees when I began in 2012 to over 400 employees in 2022. 

With that growth came the development of brand new departments and added layers of leadership to existing departments. Both avenues have allowed me to grow and learn as a leader within Motus.

What were your initial thoughts when you learned you were moving into a leadership role?

I was excited to empower others — to take every mistake and situation I learned from and be able to teach others. Allowing them to “seize the day” is the reason I will be a leader forever. 

At one point in my career, I managed 13 people, and there are no better feelings than achieving a large milestone as a team, recognizing one individual for outstanding performance or just digging down in the trenches together to get through busy times. All of these reasons are why I continue to be a leader.

How has your work changed since you went into leadership?

Being a leader is one of the best feelings. I love being able to inspire and empower others by sharing the lessons I've learned. The only thing better than celebrating a win of your own is being able to celebrate your teammate’s win!

What’s the No. 1 thing you hope your direct reports are getting out of working with you?

To not take everything too seriously. We're all here to learn and grow as professionals, but at the end of the day, it's a job, and we cannot take it too seriously.

How do you ensure your direct reports feel well-supported in their lives in and out of the office?

A healthy work-life balance is critical. It's important to know your teammates feel supported both personally and professionally. I do everything I can to have a pulse on their real life and work life, so long as they are comfortable sharing.

Does your company have a formal program for mentorship or sponsorship?

Mentorship is actually something my VP, Dennis Stevens, and I rolled out in 2019 as a means for survival because we were growing so quickly. 

It began with assigning an "SME" for each of our product suites, so newer teammates could collaborate with a peer to learn more. The "SME" program then grew into a program where every teammate is assigned a mentor within the Account Management Department across all three teams. It’s really blossomed into more than we anticipated and fostered cross-collaboration across all team cultures, which was a major bonus! Team culture is very important to me.

What’s the one career move you’ve made that you’re most proud of?

Stepping into a quota-carrying role. It’s something I debated for nearly two years before making the jump, and I'm very glad I did.

What’s been your most valuable career mistake?

Losing a competitive sales deal after 12+ months of work was my biggest loss, but also the largest learning opportunity in my near-decade at Motus. While we ended up losing the deal, we discovered a lot of new data points/opportunities along the way that I used in future deals, ending in a win!

How do you prioritize and deal with your to-do list each day?

I make my people a priority every day. Even if I have other responsibilities, I make my people a priority first. If your team always feels like a priority, then they’ll make your goals a priority, too.

What’s something you’re especially good at at work?

Communicating with others, whether it be with peers, direct reports or senior leaders.

What’s your go-to stress-relief activity or routine?

Grabbing an iced coffee and jumping in the car with my dog to take her to play fetch at a nearby baseball field.

What’s your favorite perk about working at your company?

The open-door communication policy across the whole company. Anyone can talk to anyone. Also, the "Work Anywhere" feature is very convenient!

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