Last Week's Leadership Lessons - Feburary 27, 2023
John M. Jaramillo, MBA, MSOP
Leadership Performance Coach & Consultant | Leadership Design & Branding | Podcast Host??| Executive Advisor | Freelance Writer ?? | Speaker
Lessons From The Week of February 20, 2023
This Week: Fear of Public Speaking / Being Interrupted / Sensitivity
Reader Beware: If you were here last time, you know the drill. Please feel free to jump right on ahead to the list of stories. If not, read from here on to understand what I'm trying to capture in this series.
Talking about leadership can be boring as hell!
We're always seeing and hearing the same old definitions, constructs, and formal tips related to and regurgitated about the leadership field, every so often punctuated by a perpetually rotating door of the latest industry buzzwords.
Even with all its great energy and intention, the themes and hopes of the leadership discipline, admittedly, can become a little monotonous -- without great stories and living examples to wake them up.
(Granted, I post about them as well. Guilty. So I guess maybe I mean "overkill." The?overkill?of your run-of-the-mill leadership ideas is what I'm trying to supplement -- and maybe unlock -- here through more unique takes and lenses.)
Hence why I launched this series.
In this series, I want to capture themes and ideas for leadership -- while being particularly cautious that they not be necessarily conveyed as leadership lessons in the articles or sources I cite. I want to find examples that demonstrate more lessons about HUMANITY than the usual script of clichéd leadership building blocks.
The way the world is going, I think it's essential to think about and take in more lessons on humanity in general than leadership specifically. And it's not like I'm forsaking one for the other; the former should inform and be the foundation for the latter. (That's just me. That's just my take.)
And to be clear, these valuable lessons, as I express them, aren't carved in stone. My translations aren't absolute. They can't be. It's not that simple. I think that's what gets us in trouble when it comes to learning (or not) about society and each other: Most issues are typically seen as black and white, left and right, up and down, one side or the other. But again, it's not that simple. Not everything can be. We force it to be that way. In most instances -- not all, but in most -- there is room for interpretation and different ideas and views to be exchanged somewhere on the middle ground. More nuance exists than we typically see -- or will admit.
And in that nuance there's beauty. Because in that nuance we can learn from each other. And because of that nuance, each of my interpretations is just one option for consideration in that middle ground of learning.
All that being said, below are three stories I came across last week that have valuable lessons for leadership, purpose, and expression. In reading these articles, you may find the lessons for leadership may not immediately stand out or reveal themselves -- and that's because lessons can range from the loud, obvious, and obnoxious to the subtle, unassuming, and hidden.
And although the source materials are not all leadership-related per se, they can all apply to leadership -- in terms of how you present yourself, navigate through life and work, and move, impact, inspire, and appreciate others.
Even if you feel you've already crafted your leadership to where you want it to be and the results clearly show it -- where others can get behind them and vouch for you -- it never hurts to continue learning from your fellow human beings, whether you know them or not.
Gestures, speeches, action, inaction, decisions, announcements, etc. They all tie in.
So bear with me. Some of them might seem like a stretch. But have some faith that I may be crazy -- but not?too?crazy.
This practice is merely effort to learn about ourselves, where we can improve, and how we can evolve.
Lessons are everywhere.
1. Speaking Out Your Fear of Public Speaking
Fear can make you do a lot of things -- or not, actually. It can stop you in your tracks, holding you back from possibilities. Fear of public speaking is a great example of fear's effect. We get that pit in our stomach, lump in our throat, sweat on our brow, fearing total annihilation from just...sharing something about ourselves -- our insights, knowledge, or opinions. And I can see the reason for that happening during a school presentation, when we're first taking a public speaking course or have to present on some topic we're not all that interested in. The energy isn't there. It's not us, or anything about us, that we're sharing. When we actually get to share what pumps us up, though, what really stops us from sharing it with others? What stops you?
Leadership Lesson: Speaking when one is a leader is important. Leadership is communication. If you can't convey what you believe, no one will understand you and what you stand for, what you want and envision from and for them. How do you refine your communication so that nothing gets lost in the process? Do you feel like you are accurately conveying what you feel you want to convey? Is fear of speaking getting in the way? Are you somehow blocking your value from being demonstrated and shown?
The Article: https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/3-scientific-reasons-your-brain-fears-public-speaking-how-to-fix-it.html
2. Who Is Interrupting You When You Speak?
There are all kinds of ways you can be shut down and held back from sharing your ideas, thoughts, and opinions. And I don't know what's worse -- when you do it to yourself, stopping before you even get started, or when someone else does it for you, interrupting you when you are ready to share your piece. (What's the use in being able to speak publicly, like mentioned in #1 above, if you have some rude colleague speaking over you...every...damn...time...you try voice yourself?) You deserve to be respected and heard. We all do. People may disagree with you and make a case against you and your cause, but everyone deserves to be, at the very least, heard. That includes you. Don't let yourself be shut down prematurely.
Leadership Lesson:?No one deserves to be spoken over, regardless of their position in the hierarchy of things. Everyone deserves decency, courtesy, and respect. When it comes to leadership, someone who is coming into their leadership, whether as an informal or formal leader, should have their words and message heard. If you are in a situation where someone (maybe the same perp over and over again) keeps talking over you, how will you break this consistent habit of theirs? How can you talk to them about what you see happening? On the flipside: How might you be the one speaking over someone else, whether intentionally or unintentionally?
The Article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/connected-leadership/202302/why-people-interrupt-us-and-what-to-do-about-it
领英推荐
3. Speaking Of A Sensitive Subject...
One might envision the picture to the right when it comes to thinking about a sensitive person -- guarded, shielding themselves from the forces of the outside world, paralyzed by the uncertainty around them. There are so many translations, perceptions, and experiences in this world. Like anything else, sensitivity can look different across different people. Regardless, even in that uncertainty of emotion and confidence, there can be strength. Each type of life, approach, and understanding has its own benefits. They're each a different lens through which to see the world. That variety is value. Don't underestimate anyone with a different view of the world, both its opportunities and threats. Their unique understanding of the world might shed light on your own blind spot.
Leadership Lesson: Whether you're dealing with (or are) a "sensitive" person -- and that's all a matter of perception; this isn't to pigeon-hole anyone into a personality type -- how are you moving with grace to understand their needs and abilities, not discounting their ability or value? What is it they (or you) can see, sense, or interpret that others can't? If there is a heightened sensitivity at play, that person might be able to see a few steps ahead of others, always cognizant of the little details others aren't able to detect or appreciate.
Honorable Mention
Would It Help?
Leadership Lesson:?Assessment and reassessment are important when it comes to leadership -- understanding and taking stock of how each action or decision might either help the situation or make it worse. In the end, what leads most leaders into frustration is that they've been pushing forward blindly and doubling down on the efforts of keeping busy and "working hard." How do you infuse the practice of assessment and reassessment into your day, wondering how (and what) each of your tentative steps will add to your overall success?
The Article:?https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/23/cnbcs-andrew-ross-sorkin-asks-this-question-to-be-more-successful.html
Follow-Up (from February 13th)
Branding's Applicability To Leadership
I mentioned in the?February 13th edition?how I would provide some examples of how the 50 tips listed in the article, published with the purpose of applying to marketing, with a little finesse, some imagination and application, can easily be applied to someone's leadership development and approach to...pretty much anything.
Let's continue with #2 on the list: “Instead of one-way interruption, web marketing is about delivering useful content at just the right moment that a buyer needs it.”
Leadership Lesson:?It's important to customize an experience for others. We won't nail every detail in every moment, getting it perfect in every interaction. But the more we listen to those around us, the more we can produce the right environment and energy. So, similar to this marketing tip, instead of blasting a Hail Mary of effort out to those you lead, hoping the generic approach will help and cover everyone's needs, how are you instead creating an experience those around you need -- especially if they didn't know they needed it?
The Article:?https://sharethis.com/marketing/2023/01/50-inspiring-marketing-quotes-to-motivate-your-marketing-team/
One of my talks covers this idea and is titled?Design Your Leadership! Nine Ways to Sharpen Your Leadership Brand In The Everyday. How proactive are you in what you demonstrate to others? It's not that everything needs to be planned and scripted, but intentionality is everything. We can't leave anything to chance, especially what people can see in what we show them.
That's it! That's the list for this week.
What other examples of leadership lessons – maybe even those that aren’t so apparent and obvious – do you come across in your everyday life and work?
What have you read lately that offers some insight on being human and navigating life -- and yes, by default, leadership.
Reach out and let me know what you think of these. Please share your own if you've found articles or stories with great lessons or insights that can contribute to how we carry ourselves through our lives and work.
Covered In Previous Posts
February 20, 2023?- Communication / Doing Just Enough / Self-Compassion
February 13, 2023?- Self-Belief / Leadership Branding / Inner Child
February 6, 2023?- Happiness / Facades / Wisdom
January 30, 2023?- Legacy / Emotional Intelligence / Stupidity
January 23, 2023?- Leadership Vulnerability / Creativity / Respect