Pregnant and Moving
Meg was pregnant and we were moving to a new state for a new role. I was excited to dive in and make an impact. There's nothing more fun than moving across the country to meet new friends in a new community while 4.5 months pregnant (sarcasm dripping).
Then it happened. The leader that we agreed to uproot our lives for, showed their true self. The imprint left on us will never be forgotten.
Here’s the truth. How you treat team members at work impacts their life at home. How you treat people at work impacts a team member's marriage. How you treat people at work impacts how a team member invests in their children. How you treat a team member at work impacts how they invest in the community- serving on boards, coaching kids teams and volunteering at church. Everyone makes their own choices, but as leaders - you have tremendous influence. Everyone has a choice in how they respond. Leaders can make help others or hurt others.
Take a moment and replace the words “team member” with the names of the people on your teams. Let it soak in.
How you treat ___________ at work impacts their life at home. How you treat _________ at work impacts ___________'s marriage. How you treat __________ at work impacts how __________ invests in their children. How you treat ____________ at work impacts how they invest in the community- serving on boards, coaching kids teams and volunteering at church.
Here’s what I’m saying. It’s not just all about you. Now, it's about your team.
How you lead/manage has a ripple effect into the community. Your words, your tone, your expectations, your feedback, your timelines, your encouragement, your intentionality – make a huge difference.
I know it’s heavy responsibility. You’ve got this though. Your leadership impacts a persons life. That’s why it’s important to think through what type of impact you want to make with your responsibility.
Take a moment to do this exercise:
How do you want the people you manage to remember you?
What do you need to do differently so everyone on your team might remember you that way? (I say “might” because you can't control how others respond.)
Remember – all you can do, is what you can do. You can’t control what others do or feel. Don’t let that reality take away from you being the leader you want to be. There will be times you have to get critical feedback, let team members work somewhere else, or be accused of ridiculous things with no merit.
My prayer for you and for everyone I work with is that you navigate leadership challenges in such a way that allows you to lay your head on your pillow at night without regret or shame. Be proud of who you are and how you lead. Be a leader worth following and and leave a legacy worth remembering. Leaders who leave a legacy worth remembering have four things in common.
Humility
C.S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself it’s thinking of yourself less.” Leaders who lead with humility don’t lord a title over others to push ideas through. They lead by influence to share a vision, idea, or opportunity that everyone can rally behind. Humble leaders celebrate others in lieu of themselves.
Empathy
Learning to look and see from someone else's perspective is life changing. I might not agree with their perspective, but when I see it, when I feel it, when I put myself in their shoes (even if those shoes are uncomfortable) I adjust my approach to make sure that team member knows I hear, value and appreciate them. I might not give the team member what they want, but I can still lead with empathy.
Selfless Ambition
Your team has goals and sometimes people make it difficult to pursue those goals. Your role as a leader is to get up the mountain. Your role is to accomplish whatever is in front with no excuses as at team. Leaders who leave a legacy worth remembering leave an outcome that moved the needle forward for the team and organization while benefiting the teams personal lives.
What's Next?
If you need a refresher on your SDI 2.0 or you are wanting to improve the culture and communication in your organization, or you just want to have a conversation set up a virtual coffee: https://calendly.com/insightleadership/virtualcoffee
