My first job after college was as a help desk service representative in an insurance company. I knew it wasn't a position I wanted to be in long-term, but it was a way to get my foot in the door. After working in that position for a few months, I realized that I wanted to work towards a leadership role. It seemed so glamorous--having the authority to make decisions, being in charge of a department, and making more money. Setting my sights on leadership seemed like the next best step.
As I moved up the leadership ranks in my career, I realized leadership was very different than my first impression. It wasn't about prestige, power, money, or authority. It was about service, humility, relationships, and influence. In fact, being a leader wasn't as exciting and glamorous as I had expected. It came with a lot of responsibility, a lot of headaches, and some choices that weren't always easy to make. There were many moments of impact and fulfillment, but there were also times of high demands and high stress.
I had the blessing of having a few excellent leaders in my career who modeled great leadership through coaching, developing, and mentoring . I also had several bosses who taught me what not to do. These leaders were focused on themselves; how much power and control they had and how to expand their turf. Although working for the latter wasn't inspiring or easy, I learned from these experiences. Not everyone is cut out to be a leader, and having the desire to lead and the skills to lead are two different things. Having the desire to be a leader is important, but desire must be met with modern and influential leadership skills.
Leadership isn't about working our way up the corporate ladder to one day finally arrive and say, "Wow, I've made it." True leadership is a journey, not a destination. Leadership is a state of being, not a role one fills while at work. The work toward leadership isn't just important for when we prepare for a leadership role. In fact, once "appointed" a leadership role, the real work has just begun.
We all know people in leadership roles who are not true leaders. Being promoted and granted a title does not make one a leader. Leadership is not an appointment, it's a process. You become a leader. It's about being. It's not just directing a team, signing off on paperwork, delegating responsibility or setting goals. Effective leaders strive for constant improvement to better themselves every day. They strive to impact those around them. They look outside themselves and seek a bigger impact in their organization and perhaps even in the world. Leadership is not just about learning a few new tools or strategies, it's learning a new way of being.
True leadership is about service; it's serving your employees by developing them and helping them reach their highest potential and personal goals. It's serving the organization by contributing your best to achieve the goals. It's serving the membership by having their best interest in mind and helping them achieve their financial dreams.
I believe we have a leadership crisis in this world. We have many leaders who aspire for the title and for the prestige and power. And some who strive for a leadership role because they see it as the next step in their career. But few people view leadership as an opportunity for impact. Few people have the competencies and skills necessary for influential leadership.
Most people look at what they will gain when they become a leader, yet very few look at what they can give. Leadership is a privilege and a responsibility.
True leadership is much bigger than a fancy office, more money, and the ability to be in charge and call the shots.How do you know you are on the right path?In my work with executives and managers, I have found several characteristics that influential leaders possess:
- A dedication to continuous learning: influential leaders strive to improve every day. They read books, listen to audios, read articles, and seek to gain more information about their industry, as well as how to become a better leader and person. They are very self aware; they understand their strengths and weaknesses, and are not afraid to hire others to fill the gaps. They are always in a state of learning and encourage their employees to grow and develop.
- A focus on others: influential leaders aren't in leadership for themselves, they are there to make an impact on others. They provide clarity, direction, appreciation, and support to their employees. They make their employees a priority and invest time and effort into helping each individual reach their peak performance and potential. They are not afraid to provide constructive feedback, for they know it's about facilitating improvement and is in service to the greater good.
- Emotional intelligence: influential leaders realize that great leadership isn't just about driving the agenda and getting results. They understand the importance of people, and they are approachable, compassionate, supportive, and great listeners. They understand that employees are people who have desires, goals and fears.
- Ability to create a stable environment: even in the midst of organizational change and uncertainty, influential leaders foster an environment of stability. They do this by being dependable, honest, trustworthy and respectful. They follow through on their word and possess a high level of integrity. They don't have all the answers, and they are not afraid to admit mistakes. They model behaviors that reinforce integrity and trust.
Certainly effective leaders need to possess some talent, confidence, and strategic ability. But what separates the mediocre leaders from the exceptional leaders are the qualities that go beyond technical and strategic mastery. They are skills that cultivate an environment of engagement, trust, loyalty and growth.
The world needs more of these leaders. We need the next generation of leaders to bring change to our organizations and cultivate true and influential leadership.I'd love to hear your thoughts. Do you think we have a leadership crisis in many of our organizations? What characteristics do you think are important to be an influential leader? Share your comments below.
I really love and enjoy this reading. Reading this I learned that when you speak out clearly you thoughts and ideas people see you as winner, because you are not afraid to go straight to the point.
Great article.....And happy belated birthday! Welcome to my world, young lady!
Whenever I have a work project that I keep putting off - I think about delegating that project to someone else - which accomplishes 2 things- it gets the project done and frees us my brain space thinking about it.
Good morning. I loved this read. Thank you so much for sharing. Sincerely, Melissa :)
Thank you for this blog Laurie. I liked most part and specially "As organizations have become more complex, there is a tendency to require employees to do more with less. This is a slippery slope, and often can result in employees feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. One of the biggest contributors to this is not evaluating resources during the strategic planning process." I will use this practice "A best practice is to do what I call Priority Planning—putting important practices on your calendar ahead of time so they become a priority in your day. Examples of activities to Priority Plan include scheduling recurring coaching sessions with each team member, time for strategic thinking and planning, vacations, doctor appointments, important children’s events, and blocks of time for focused work on projects." To be more effective, I will get a good rest so I can have enough energy in the morning. I will read the blog again along with the other links on employee evaluation. Thank you so much Laurie. Best wishes to you and your family.
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I love the feedback on the more than 50 hours of work. AND filling time. So true. Unfortunately, showing that you work longer hours is still seen as being a "hard worker" - not sure how to change that though.
I enjoyed the read. I concur that transitioning from technical skills to delegating results was a task within itself. I did not realize I was almost trying to do the same thing from my previous position, and it was not working. However, I am seeing the results of how delegating daily tasks makes my job and workload easier. Thank you, Laurie.
Thank you for sharing information about your trip Laurie! All 3 things resonate with me - probably #1 being the biggest. I know when I'm gone for a week, I'm still thinking about work and need a vacation when I get back because I did not relax enough. I think your idea of a longer vacation is definitely in my future!!
Hey Laurie, My take on your list - 1 - everyone has a story - listen 2- social media causes interpersonal problems 5- generational differences create hurdles / earn it you aren't entitled / we should help them get there not give it to them 6 AMEN some leaders I would have followed thru Hell, some I wish - well, you know 7- true BUT be as good as your word and 14- Hopefully we leave some good from our efforts, I know the good leaders I have had have. Seen a lot in my career but it really comes down to treat others the way you want to be treated, fair, honest, and straight forward. Good read. Take care
I love this so much and thank you so much for sharing! I really just love realizing that enjoying the simple things sometimes is the best! Also recognizing that what is important and fun to you may not be everyone else's fun on the on the trip. “Do we get to keep these toiletries?” was my favorite!!!! :):) Glad you had a great time and got to spend it with your family!
I very much resonate with lesson no 3! Thank you Laurie
I think the part that you might have missed in their top 5 things, some of which were not "Italian" or even different from home, all of them happened with you, both of you. And i think that is what they will remember too. And you've got tons of photos that will remind them of what the Sistine Chapel looked like - then they might remember what it sounded like or smelled like. Oh- and i agree with you 100% about sleep!
LOTS of great take-aways from this post! Thank you for posting! I especially love "slow down to speed up". That's a keeper!
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the not getting enough rest to be at my best. definitely need to get more quality sleep and make that a priority
It really is hard to narrow down the 3 lessons into one because they are all so interconnected. You need to give your mind and body THE TIME to relax SO THAT you can enjoy the SIMPLE THINGS, including REST. I enjoyed that lesson as a whole. I will take that lesson with me on my next vacation (or staycation). As always, thank you Laurie for your candor and for sharing your own lessons with others so that we too can benefit.
Great information and reminders
Laurie, Thank you for sharing your trip and these nuggets. The lessons that resonate most with me are it does take time to relax and getting proper rest. When you devote 15 plus hours of your day for work, taking care of home and others; the 6-7 hours you lay down does not cut it! For me during this time I'm trying to unwind and find myself thinking fighting not to think about what I have to do tomorrow. Even after I create a to do list for the next day...I find things I need to add. Taking a day off here and there doesn't cut it as well because of all the plans you have for that day. I try to make sure my Mental Health Days remains just that.... time for me to laugh, cry, scream.... whatever I need to release the cares and stress!
Really enjoyed the article... and all very true!
Since I was already well aware of #1 (I'm in the same boat with taking a long time to relax), I think I'm resonating most with #3. I'm learning to prioritize sleep / rest and it's been wonderful. Love that you said "I love sleep.". :)
Welcome back from vacation. Well deserve! Action is the key to success. Shoulder to shoulder, coaching and delegating task to help other employees grow are very important. It is a sacrifice that one must do. Forget about yourself and be with your team day in and out to help them grow, is not always easy. On the long run, your team is stronger, and you can depend on them for the success of the organization. Thank you so much!
So many great tips here, thank you!
I am so impressed you're able to disconnect and these are great tips I'll be sure to try on my next trip!
Such a great post - so inspiring!