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What are the Important Attributes of Leadership in Times of Change? With QVC & HSN President Leslie Ferraro

Leslie Ferraro

What do you think are the three most important attributes of leadership in times of change?

  1. Be accessible and listen to your team. Passionate people want to be heard, so create open, honest dialogue in which everyone is respected, and the best ideas win.
  2. Build trust and accountability. Nothing kills a relationship faster than being untrustworthy, so hold yourself, your team, and your partners to the highest standards of integrity. And, it is equally important to hold yourself and your team accountable for delivering results, as well as creating a listening, learning high integrity organization.
  3. Take care of yourself and encourage your team to do the same. Success in business and in life is a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself and pay attention to the long-term.

Leaders have to believe in their own ability to make a difference. What do you do to keep your own belief in yourself strong?

As a leader of a retail business, knowing the difference we can make in our customers’ lives is what inspires and energizes me. We have an incredibly unique opportunity to build connections through what we do; those connections are so important, especially over the past year that was likely very isolating for so many. Delivering for our customers and keeping that front and center of everything we do is what inspires my belief in myself and our teams.

Who or what has inspired you about leadership lately?

I just kicked off a learning journey across our QVC and HSN businesses with Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead book as the foundation of the program. I am very excited for our leadership team to leverage this new way of leading and use the principles in the program. Building a productive and forward-thinking corporate culture is a strong passion of mine, and I believe this program will help us to continue delivering for our customers and our business. 

Leslie Ferraro is the President of QVC and HSN, part of Qurate Retail Group.