Did I put down enough breadcrumbs?

I never had a specific professional ‘calling’ but I knew I wanted to help others. I thought that would be nursing, teaching, or social work. Turns out, business operations is where I thrived but I never lost the strong pull to help people. Growing into leadership allowed me to feed that need to help others. At the MGMA Leaders Conference this week one of the speakers asked me to text 3 to 5 people and ask them what my superpower is. One person I reached out to is a former direct report that has grown into a vice president role.?? Her response floored me.?

"You don’t just have one.

1. Fearlessly advocate for what is right for people and organizations.

2. There’s no problem too big or too complex that you’re afraid to take on.

3. Your ability to connect with others in meaningful ways allows you to quickly built trust and the way you sustain relationships ensures you have a team of supporters around you who are willing to take action on when needed.

4. You’re grounded and steadfast.?

5. You care deeply for others and lead accordingly. You keep people at the heart of all you do."

If you put me on the spot and asked what my superpower was, I wouldn't say any of those things. I’d probably say something lame like ‘aligning people and teams around a clear goal and achieving it’. Meh. I am filled with joy if that's what it’s like to be on the other side of me. What I want to be known for is a person who leads by caring — caring about people, the work, the fun, the outcomes, all of it. I have enough self-awareness to know I'm far from perfect and it’s not all warm and fuzzy to be on the other side of me. Another response that made me laugh out loud was, “The ability to communicate eloquently and make your point clear on the spot. Including telling someone to go to hell and they're looking forward to the trip.” Now, that I might have said about myself. Yin and yang - ha! ??

And what I know for sure is that I did not gain those superpowers without a lot of help — a family that wrapped support around me when I became a mom at 20 so I could finish school and provide for my son; people who believed in and advocated for me when I wasn’t in the room; mentors who made time to teach me and give me the feedback I needed to hear; leaders who rolled the dice and took a chance to give me opportunities; leaders who modeled what caring for people looks like and some who showed me what not to do; a husband who prioritized being home with our son so I could hit the road serving clients, put in the hours at the office, and go to graduate school. In his keynote speech at the MGMA Leaders Conference Ryan Leak called these people the ‘breadcrumb list’ — all the people who put breadcrumbs down a path for me to walk on. These opportunities were mine to step up or mess up but getting the opportunities took a village. My #1 career goal is that I make it on someone’s breadcrumbs list; that I helped pave the way for people’s growth, created the space for them to do more than they thought they could, and develop their superpowers. ??

I'm sure all this self-reflection and realization was the point of the superpower exercise. It worked. I have been processing on repeat if I'm doing enough to show up for others and why I have a hard time seeing myself how others see me. Imposter syndrome anyone? I challenge you — yes, you, reading this right now — to reach out to 3 to 5 people and ask them what your superpower is. Then think about who helped you develop those superpowers — who’s on your breadcrumbs list — and take the bold step to tell them and share your gratitude. Then ask yourself, "what am I doing today to make it on someone else’s breadcrumbs list?"

Next step, reaching out to 3 to 5 people to ask what I can do better. But that's a different post.