Leaders Find Time to Give Back

Great, you’ve made it! You’ve beaten the odds and proven to everyone that you have a right to be at the table. Your excellence is your calling card; you are hopefully well respected in your chosen industry; if you are lucky enough people seem to value your opinion about industry trends and the like. You are indeed a trusted voice. What’s left for you to accomplish, other than the continual gathering of accolades? It's time to figure out how you intend to give back to both the industry that has rewarded you and the people responsible for your journey.? So many of us seem to forget this final phase of executive accomplishment. Who has the time? How can I fit this into this maelstrom I call a life and profession? Simple, you make time because others will benefit from your efforts.

When you think about what it means to really make an impact, I have news for you. Although you may view yourself as the most critical voice of your time in an industry desperate to hear your opinion on how the entire industry needs to move forward, your voice and your leanings will not likely stand the test of time. We spend a bunch of time patting ourselves on the back when we fill a room full of people there to listen to what we have to say, but how many times have you stopped to bring someone else truly into the fold? I will tell you from personal experience that this is the absolute most rewarding aspect of being professionally successful for me.?

What does your experience really mean in the big scheme of things? I’m sorry but very few of us will be recognized in the many years to come for our contributions to our chosen industries. For instance, I have chosen to show up in the cybersecurity industry. It's a rare occasion that I enter a room and there’s not someone in the space who holds a much deeper expertise than I do on any one particular security related topic. I lead, I contribute and I try to help folks move the needle where I can. Helping individuals one organization and one leader at a time. I have no romantic dreams of changing the cybersecurity industry. There are too many cool looking dudes with clever t-shirts, sport coats and accents to boot who get enough of the acclaim that the industry seems to crave. Sometimes I’m just another voice in the cacophony of industry “experts” trying to get folks to adopt this tool or that or some particular way of thinking. Sometimes it hits and other times it does not. Believe it or not, this is not why I have a seat at the table.

When you help someone, a person, an individual, your impact can literally be felt for generations to come. Your experiences oftentimes act as a literal roadmap for others to follow. No one can completely replicate your accomplishments; they can’t walk your path, because that is yours and yours only. This journey that you are on is absolutely unique to you. With that said, there are aspects of your journey that will help others find their pathways through this gray muck we all call the professional journey. Take some time to shine a light on the pathway so that others can find their way. This is not a zero sum game. Your “giving back” does not and will not take away from your plate. In fact, most find that when giving back your plate actually overflows with abundance.

What can you do? Mentor someone, spend a few moments chatting virtually with someone who has asked for the time, give people full and transparent advice and feedback about the challenges, work required and pitfalls of your industry, help someone avoid a catastrophic mistake like the one you made and survived through, spend time simply being a sounding board for others to probe. Show up and really be present for people asking for help.?Spend some of your time offering a helping hand.

Now, I have chosen to go all in on different aspects of this advice. I lead a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people, I almost always respond to people randomly asking for time to talk and I constantly provide real and honest feedback in the decision making cycle, when asked. I do this because the particular brand of leadership that I follow recognizes that we are all students and learners in this game. Help someone else ace the test; you’ll be better for it.?

MK Palmore

The Leadership Student