Almost every single time that I have given in to my fear, I later regretted it. I knew I could have succeeded where my fear held me back. Yet, I still give in.
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I have watched leaders whom I truly admire just sit back and take it all in. They would listen to everyone’s opinions, gripes and everything else. The only time they would break their silence was to ask clarifying questions. Then after listening to all, they would share their decision. True wisdom isn’t just showing what you know.
This is something I am struggling with a lot lately. As I try to define who I am and what I want my future to look like, I am trying to discover what my “art” is. I know what I am good at and what I like to do, but what are others willing to pay me to do.
I have been very impatient many times in my career. I knew I had the talent or skills to do the “next” thing. However, I had not yet proven myself. It took work to methodically earn the trust of my superiors and my team until they saw I was capable. By that time, I had grown more in my skills and built strong bonds of trust that they gave me opportunities to prove myself…and I was now prepared. Don’t be afraid to be patient.
Recently, I was listening to a podcast and the speaker was talking about those who want to become rich. He said we try to become rich by doing what rich people do. That will not work. We need to do what they did to become rich. We all want to be seen as an expert in some area so we do as the experts do now. Instead, we need to do what they did to get there. Be patient…you will get that rank you want if you do the work.
I have been a student of servant style leadership for many years and serving those on my team is something I hold as a priority. Servant leaders are not meant to be submissive and weak; rather, using our talents and experience to set our team up for success. This quote from MJ helps me to place my thoughts into words. Leaders need to earn their role and that is done by caring for the team. I go to work everyday with the idea that my team is writing my EPR and I try to live up to their expectations more than those of my actual rater.
All of you are already on the right path of being a better leader by reading our posts. It is vital to continually grow your knowledge base and consider the research and opinions of experts. Reading gives you access to the greatest minds who have ever lived. You can learn from those who have faced similar trials and problems that you are facing. You can learn from those who are on the cutting edge of where your industry is heading. Reading alone won’t solve your problems, but it will equip you.
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Ironically, I have connected with my team on a deeper level once I learned to admit I was wrong. Although I have grown in many areas and have many talents, I still make more missteps than I care to admit. However, each time I do, I try to learn from them. Most of the time, those lessons come from those on my team. One of the biggest things I learned as a leader is that you are not the end all, be all expert. I am the force field that protects my team as they show off their expert abilities.
Introvert or extrovert. Charismatic or meek. Many of us our led to believe that how others project themselves is what makes them a great leader. Yes, personality will attract others to you, but what is keeping them there?
