Lessons I Have Learned on Leadership

If you find yourself hoping that something will work without being able to convincingly explain to yourself how it will work- then a little bell should go off, and you should ask yourself some clarifying questions: “What’s the problem I need to solve? Does this solution make sense? If I’m feeling some doubt, why? Am I doing this for sound reasons or am I motivated by something personal?

As a leader, you should want those around you to be eager to rise and take on more responsibility, if dreaming about the job you want doesn’t distract you from the job you have. You can’t let ambition get too far ahead of opportunity. It’s important to know how to find the balance-do the job you have well; be patient; look for opportunities to pitch in and expand and grow; and make yourself one of the people, through attitude and energy and focus, that your bosses feel they must turn to when an opportunity arises. Conversely, if you’re a boss, these are the people to nurture-not the ones who are clamouring for promotions and complaining about not being utilized enough but the ones who are proving themselves to be indispensable day in and day out.

You need to be self-aware enough that you don’t cling to the notion that you are the only person who can do a particular job. At its essence, good leadership isn’t about being indispensable; it’s about helping others be prepared to possibly step into your shoes-giving them access to your own decision making, identifying the skills they need to develop and helping them improve, and, as I’ve had to do, sometimes being honest with them about why they’re not ready for the next step up.

It’s a tricky thing, moving people over to your side and enlisting their enthusiastic engagement. Sometimes it’s worth talking through their reservations and patiently responding to their concerns. Other times you simply need to communicate that you’re the boss and you want this done. It’s not that one approach is “nice” and the other isn’t. It’s just that one is more direct and non-negotiable. It really comes down to what you believe is right for the moment—when a more democratic approach is useful both in getting to the best outcome and in building morale, and when you have enough certainty in your opinion that you’re willing to be an autocrat even in the face of disagreement.

Optimism sets a different machine in motion. Especially in difficult moments, the people you lead need to feel confident in your ability to focus on what matters, and not to operate from a place of defensiveness and self-preservation. This isn’t about saying things are good when they’re not, and it’s not about conveying some innate faith that “things will work out.” It’s about believing you and the people around you can steer toward the best outcome, and not communicating the feeling that all is lost if things don’t break your way. The tone you set as a leader has an enormous effect on the people around you. No one wants to follow a pessimist.