I would like to share with you my leadership smorgasboard. As a I reflect on what leadership means, I turn to the managers I have had over the years: the good, the bad, and some of the ugly. What I have realized is that good leaders apply an array of techniques and are mindful enough to apply them appropriately. Here are some of the techniques I have learned from previous leaders.
First up, the tough stuff.
It was my first HR job. I was an intern in a male dominated sales IT firm. Some of the men with whom I sat with would make jokes about women in the workplace. You know, the usual, women are moody, women are emotional, etc. I didn’t tell anyone. I sat quietly as the intern. One day, my manager walked through our cubicles and said, “I don’t know if you know this… but this is MY intern and I am the director of HR. I could learn all of your names, but let’s hope I won’t have to.” After that, the teasing stopped. This manager was a ferocious protector, and set clear expectations on how we should treat people on our teams.
Another example of this nature was a young hot shot manager with no time for non-sense. Managing major unions, she had no patience for frivolous conversations and didn’t respect anyone who couldn’t hold their own. She never formally mentored or coached me, but in the few times she did she shared: never let them see you cry, never show remorse and always show them exactly what you’ve got. Every once in a while, it is the right time to pick a fight and show them that you can be ferocious.
Second up is a mild mannered manager with a high emotional intelligence. At the time we were undertaking a huge project and when he asked the payroll team to assist, they refused and kicked up a gigantic fuss. He just listened, and publicly took the heat. I was embarrassed for the way they spoke to him. The next day, I noticed that they were doing exactly as he asked; no complaints. He explained to me that you have to understand what people need, and that they needed the time to express how angry and frustrated they were; they needed to feel in control of their situations. That project had the potential to go absolutely sideways; but it did not under his leadership.
The final piece of my leadership smorgasbord is being a leader who knows when to expand the network and share power. At a monthly meeting, I found that I was having difficulty getting respect from our clients. In a one on one conversation, I expressed my concerns with my manager. He understood and suggested that I start taking mentors in the industry for lunch, and build a network to support myself from people who could have more insight. This was huge.
The second thing he offered to do was to stop coming to those meetings. I became the spokesperson for the organization. At my first meeting, I confidently provided an update. In subsequent meetings, instead of sitting on the sidelines, I sat at the front. Sharing the leadership spotlight resolved the issue for me personally, and my manager had earned my dedication and respect.
There is no single leadership technique that works in all cases. I believe a good leader can pull from the strengths of others, and recognize what is needed from their team in a specific situation. The leaders I have been lucky enough to follow have each taught me ways to lead a strong, resilient team — a smorgasboard of techniques and approaches to pick from for the rest of my life.
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