LEADERSHIP
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Rachelle Lee
A Leader’s Journey: Five Unexpected Lessons Along the Way
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here are countless articles, videos, books, and “they who know everything” advice-givers who preach what it takes to be a good leader. They all sound great but I find that the reality of the journey is often missing. You know, the bumps in the road, the roadkill along the way, and the seemingly endless trek toward “successful leadership.” Reflecting on my own career through corporate leadership positions, 23 years of consulting practice, and time spent in nonprofit Board governance, the most important lessons I learned were from reality-based unexpected sources. Those lessons grew out of mistakes I didn’t know I was making at the time.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Here are five good examples.
1. It’s only lonely at the top when we think we have to make all the decisions. New leaders can feel driven to establish authority and gain respect as quickly as possible. They will sometimes isolate themselves from the team, unwilling to ask for input for fear of appearing unprepared, disorganized, or inexperienced. In such cases, the D.A.D. management style is in full bloom, which isn’t good for anyone. That’s when leaders: DECIDE what to do, ANNOUNCE the decision, then find themselves in a position to have to DEFEND the approach. For example . . . As a new manager, I wanted to make my mark by solving frontline productivity problems. After burning a lot of midnight oil, I found a technical solution I knew would make a big difference. My mistake BC Notaries Association
was that I never consulted with the end users. They actively resisted my approach. I re-established trust with them, but It took time and effort.
Considerations • Are you afraid of revealing the extent of your knowledge (or lack thereof)? • Do you think asking for input makes you look indecisive or unqualified? • Do you believe that authority comes from having all the answers? Asking for input makes you look more confident, not less. Problemsolving through collaboration builds solid working relationships, streamlines implementation, and deepens everyone’s investment in the success of the project. It also expands resources by taking full advantage of the team skill-base and saves time in the long run. Plus, your staff members feel good when you think their input matters! Volume 29 Number 1 Spring 2020
