Courtney Itami joined TPG four years ago to lead our Sales and Marketing team through identifying brand and sales needs, opportunities, solutions, and processes to create opportunities for growth. She is also part of our First Team leadership group.
[Responses were edited for length and clarity.]
TPG is intentional in all that it does. How are we forging an intentional path regarding leadership?
When I joined TPG as a First Team member, I reported to Sarah Friend (now company president), who was a part of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Sarah and all of ELT had been learning leadership concepts through an outside consultant. I was so intrigued by that and grateful she was willing to pass it on to me. I was curious about TPG’s investment into leadership with structure and intention – something I had not yet experienced. And I was hungry for all of that information. Then TPG announced that leadership training would be provided for all of us on First Team, as well. It had been the plan from the start. I love it – all of us coming together with different experiences in leadership. This training has created a language and expectations about how we communicate and focus to elevate our leadership skills and plan for growth.
What is one of the most impactful tools you’ve learned during your training?
I love to learn, and I’m a nerd when it comes to this stuff. And I’m cool with that! I always come away from training with something to implement. One of the biggest values of training to me is understanding people’s DiSC® profiles. (Note: DiSC is a personal assessment tool to help improve teamwork, communication, and productivity in the workplace.) At TPG, we regularly use DiSC as a perspective to have conversations, build teams, create processes, and deal with conflict. I love that DiSC is centered around first understanding and building awareness and growth plans for yourself as an individual.
Let’s talk about the mentoring program and how it plays into our leadership goals.
It’s amazing how intentional leadership work has come down through the company – everyone from ELT to First Team to people managers now receive training from our consultants. The PeopleOperations (formerly known as HR) team has helped build a mentoring program. They have a list of TPGers who are willing to engage in that kind of work relationship. I volunteer as a mentor, because it’s how I naturally lead – through coaching and mentoring the marketing team, emerging professionals, and new First Team members. I love sharing the knowledge that TPG has entrusted in us by providing a coaching voice that these employees wouldn’t have otherwise.
How do your acquired leadership skills translate company-wide?
My primary role is to lead and coach our Marketing team. I appreciate their strengths and their willingness to learn and be challenged to grow. As a peer mentor/coach for new First Teamers, in tandem with Sarah Friend, we identify the concepts and skills we learn through leadership training that have become norms in how we lead at TPG. I built and maintain a program to discuss how new First Team members can integrate these concepts into their own work styles. A few Emerging Young Professionals (EYP) group members learned I was available and reached out for coaching, as well. I’ve enjoyed tapping into the resources that TPG offered me through leadership training and passing them forward.
Where do you see TPG heading in terms of its leadership program?
I have been so impressed by our thoughtful plans and progress as a company. In addition to our leadership training, we also provide current and ongoing DEI training. PeopleOps offers TPG University as an online resource to build skills and move ahead. We are all working intentionally to build a consistent knowledge base across TPG. I look forward to what opportunities come from that and I’m starting to investigate that more.
What advice do you have for aspiring leaders?
Get curious about yourself first. What is it that cultivates your interest in leadership? Who has inspired you, and why? Ask to meet with them. How well do you understand your own DiSC profile? What environment helps you become the best version of yourself? Also, be sure to share your aspirations with your direct leader, so they can help you learn and connect to resources and future opportunities. And get to know your leaders!
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Interested in connecting with Courtney regarding leadership, mentoring, or marketing? Reach out at citami@tpgrp.com.
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