Last Week's Leadership Lessons - March 20, 2023

Lessons From The Week of March 13, 2023

This Week: Trust This Process / Please Read This (And Just This!) / Don't Be That Person

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. Trust This Process

Trust is everything. If there's no trust, there's no sharing, transparency, or cohesion. What's possible won't happen because people are forced to hold back, not sharing of themselves, for fear that the outcome will not work in their favor, or that they'll get hurt or taken advantage of in some way.

Leadership Lesson: Pay attention to how you build trust with others. There are gestures, words, and acts that can demonstrate trustworthiness in the everyday. The thing about trust is, you have to build it before you need it. It's not just about showing up in the big moments. You can't expect to earn someone's trust in the moment on the day you need them, asking theto put their eggs in your basket. So, not only is my message about the importance of gaining trust, but especially about how you go about cultivating it day by day. Big moments and successes are built on (and only possible because of) the foundation of small gestures and acts. Stay cognizant of what you're building as you go.

Find the article here.

2. Please Read This (And Just This)!

We all try to take on too much. Whether it's what we're trying to achieve back-to-back throughout any given day, blazing and burning through our energy without rest, or various tasks we're trying to focus on simultaneously in the same time frame, it's just all too much for our primitive brains. Are you spreading yourself too thin, limiting the attention and quality you can grant to any of those tasks you're dividing your focus amongst?

Leadership Lesson:?Leaders sometimes try to take too much on at once. They put pressure on themselves to be everything to everyone around them. And they should be what they want to show others, but they need to be smart about it and efficient with their energy. Before the quality of their leadership and/or management suffers, our leaders need to learn to delegate and prioritize tasks. Too many are trying to tend to everything without fully understanding or "being there" for anything. If a leader is too distracted or not present, others can sense that will shift to a more cautious approach with their leader. Because of that caution, they won't be able to work as freely or as openly as they would with a leader who is fully present and not overly extended.

Find the article here.

3. Don't Be That Person

How often might we argue against our own best interests? How often might we keep that fight going -- in most cases just because we don't want to be told what to do or how to act? We can be stubborn, ill-prepared, and ignorant to what's really happening.

Leadership Lesson: Make sure to continue assessing the work you're doing and what you need to carry it out. No, your situation won't be as egregious as the one shared in this article. But how often do you reassess information to determine if what you're arguing for continues to be relevant, fruitful, and effective? Leadership is about constant assessment and improvement; it's not about assuming and arriving at an all-ruling authority but instead about constant learning and evolution so as to avoid blind spots and pitfalls.

Find the article here.?

Honorable Mention

Teachers: Our First Leadership Coaches

Leadership Lesson:?The takeaways that are transferrable to leadership are based on the four points in the article: (1) The customization to the person (It's key to realize those you lead are each unique individuals.); (2) the mindset that what you're providing is a service and experience (Consider what you create for those you lead.); (3) that the result of the environment can be driven by how effective the environment is made (The ends are achieved by designed, thoughtful, and intentional means.), and (4) the anticipation of and preparation for when things don't work out (Always being prepared for when things don't go your way.).

Find the Article here.

Honorable Mention

Anxious Avoidance

Leadership Lesson:?This writing space is not big enough to talk about mental health. And I'm not qualified as a professional to discuss any kind of treatment. All I am is someone who has lived (not "coped") with anxiety all his life -- well, it was there, but only in the last few years have a I learned the extent to which it existed and the means by which to harness it for my own benefit. It's a part of who I am. And it has both its pro's and con's. Most content I create or share that you might enjoy, relate to, or learn from draws resources from the hyper-awareness of my anxiety. That's what I've learned about myself.

The lesson here is we're all so different, so learn about yourself. If you recognize yourself in articles or pieces about anxiety specifically or mental health in general, be sure to get the help you might need. If you don't, you may yielding piece of mind and forfeiting value to any of its limitations instead of learning from the tools it can provide that will help you thrive. Avoidance or denial, instead of curiosity about and honesty with ourselves, only amplifies whatever it is that ails us.

Find the article here.

Covered In Previous Posts

March 13, 2023 - Listen Up! / Anxiety Is Old News / Manhood Stuff

March 6, 2023 - Slow Down! / Hope & Happiness / Primitive Empathy

February 27, 2023?- Fear of Public Speaking / Being Interrupted / Sensitivity

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