5 Vulnerable Questions To Unhide Courageous Leadership
Gartner IOCS Conference

5 Vulnerable Questions To Unhide Courageous Leadership

Innovation and Diversity are usually the first to get cut during a downturn. The question is..was the investment, commitment, and priority actually ever there??

We may be the most technologically “acronym” advanced era of all time yet our behaviors, mindsets, leadership styles, metrics… have not evolved since the industrial revolution. What was that era configured for? Assembly Line Efficiency and making everything cookie cutter…including PEOPLE. We have done the same with the topics of talent, innovation, and diversity..chocolate chip cookie-cutter check boxes.

We are often quick to point the finger at the top and say "it’s them” they created this environment, it’s “systematic", the culture is "unsafe". We must also realize that the “environment” is also a sum total of what we are willing to tolerate and accept under the disguise and myth of normal.

I know most people don’t realize that every single one of us has the?power?to change things. It's just a choice. This requires having the?courage?to be uncomfortable, be judged, and even rejected. Most of us are unwilling to do this because we have been sold the myth of being normal and fitting is key to success and happiness. Forgetting we are all literally all gonna die.?

The question we must all ask ourselves and get super clear on regardless of our titles is "Do I truly desire to be a manager or leader?” I don’t mean just in the workplace or your given title, I mean life. You could be a Fortune 500 CEO and still be a manager. You could be a "development engineer" with no direct reports and be a powerful leader. You could be a stay home mom or dad and be a leader. You could be 10 years old and in elementary school and be a leader.?

There is no right or wrong answer to asking yourself this question. There is just clarity. Clarity on what we DESIRE to be and who we are ACTUALLY being. Here is the difference to reflect on:?

  • Managers take an order from the top and kick the can down the road. Leaders question everything and seek to disrupt the myth of normal and are driven to change the future. The top can be at a corporation, on the soccer field, or with the principal at a school that says your child is a misfit because they learn differently.?
  • Managers check a box, and leaders get curious about what’s in the box and if what's in it even makes sense. It’s like the call center agent you get once in a blue moon that says you are right this process doesn’t make sense let me see what I can do. I had this experience this week and told her "do you know you are a leader" she was stunned and thrilled.
  • Managers are unconscious and are quick to judge and come to conclusion and an answer, leaders?ruthlessly present,?get curious, and ask as many questions as they can. They have zero fear of being wrong.?
  • Managers have the mindset “that’s just the way it is” and "I don’t have the power to change it”.?Leaders have fear, know its uncomfortable, know they could be judged and rejected, and?do it anyway

Get vulnerable with yourself and take pen to paper and ask the questions below. There is no right or wrong there is only awareness and choice.

1.) What is true for me? Do I truly desire to be a manager or leader in my life? (manager is not wrong it's just a choice)

2.) Go 20 years in the future...what do I truly desire to create in the world??

3.) What am I actually being and showing up as everyday??

4.) Would I like to change this? (if not that's cool too)

5.) Who can I be or do to change this??

What if every single one of us had the?courage?to show up as more of what is?true?for us and?inspire?others to do the same??

Paul H. Lake

Senior Director, Cloud Business Operations at Oracle

1 年

'Out Beyond Ideas of wrondoings and rightdoings there is a field. I'll meet you there - Rumi.' Michelle, thanks you for this deeply inspirational talk. Belonging unlocks our true potential for powerful change. Keep Preaching Truth my sister. Best,paul

Jennifer G. Dobbins

Telecom, Defense, Sales, Strg Plng & Mktg Prof w/ Switch, Mobile, Corp/Resi Clients, Finance, Bus Dev & Prod Line Mgmt., Superlative Mentor in Domestic & Global Env. Born Leader in Negotiating, Contracts & Up Selling

1 年

Thank you for the insightful info and post Michelle Mehrnoosh Bazargan Sharing #knowledgeispower and doing it fearlessly is key ?? in learning it’s a sink or swim world nowadays. Without at least making an attempt, we sell ourselves and our capabilities short, we lack in learning other points of view, and don’t broaden our horizons. Even if we try and fail, we’ve at least gained differing methodologies for doing things, learned what we like and don’t like, find what was or wasn’t our niche or forte, and can then seek different options. But staying in the same place due to fear, conditions us to tolerate some circumstances we normally wouldn’t rather than taking a valiant leap of faith. Sometimes when forced from what we think is an ok, yet not perfect situation, we get nudged into a brand new opportunity we would’ve missed by staying stagnant due to fear. This happens even though we’re highly equipped, qualified and far more capable of doing more, many people fall into this rut until change forces them into a new and outstanding opportunity. In retrospect, when they look back later, the stressful time usually ends up being the boost they’ve desperately needed for the longest time and they’re so grateful. ??????

Keith Crystal

Sales Leader | Cloud Strategist | AI Implementation | CX | DataWarehouse Expert | Enterprise SaaS | B2B | MEDDPICC Certified | Driving Revenue Growth in Technology | Insights Architect

1 年

Tomorrow is just around the corner. Never give up. Never stop pushing.

Dru Yamagiwa

Global IT Operations & Strategy | ITSM Professional | DEI Leader

1 年

Love this Michelle!

Eric Rathjens

Passionately pursuing a better system here in South Florida.

1 年

Thanks for the invitation and I'm glad to see your message! We are on the move here in Palm Beach county Florida and you have got to know your DNA and what you're committed to early on. If you are disrupting, own it through innovation internally and with your market... If you are a creative problem solver, keep collaborating... The antithesis of your mission is stagnant and fear-driven. Let's work together to make our present and future more fun and action packed!

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