Helping our heroes to become leaders

Peter was a software engineer, known for his problem solving skills, passion and dedication. Often, he would be the key contributor to the success of the most ambitious and complex projects. As such, Peter was regarded as a hero.

Having recognized his talent and capability to inspire others, Peter's manager, Tom, asked him to assume a leadership role in his team. Used to be a "Lone wolf / One man Army", Peter was hesitant, not sure to have the required skills.

However, with Tom's proposal to coach him and the support of colleagues and friends, Peter decided to give it a try and quickly realized how different a leader was from a hero.

A leader :

• Realizes, human do not scale. Learns empowerment, and delegates.
• Thinks about the needs of the team, rather than his own.
• Listens, shows more empathy and build trust.
• Asks the right questions instead of finding the answers
• Fosters and promotes collaboration.
• Is an enabler, a facilitator instead of a direct contributor.
• "Let it go", inspires and motivates others to get the job done.

Peter first found it difficult to adjust to this new reality, but Tom was there for him, providing regular advise to hone his skills.

With practice and time, Peter matured in his new role. Under his leadership, the team thrived, abled to tackle and achieve greater challenges in less time, with more efficiency, and with more fun.

Peter is now an effective leader. He considers himself as a learner, as any leader should. His top objective now, is to coach a recent talent that emerged from the last project and give back what he received from Tom.

This story makes me wonder, How many of us are Peters looking for a Tom to go beyond and evolve from a hero to a leader ?