As some of my subscribers may know, I started grad school this fall at George Washington University to pursue a Master's in International Policy. One of our "core" courses is called Strategy and Leadership (where the heck were you when I was CMO at [blank], [blank], and [other blank] companies when I needed you!).
One of our shorter assignments was to reply to the prompts below about "Lateral Leadership," which enabled me to reflect on some of the biggest lessons I learned over my 20+ years in the corporate world. Figured it might make for a good post. If interested, read on...
- A formal/traditional approach to decision-making vs. a collegial one. When a group leader or discussion facilitator decides they know best, and doesn't faithfully solicit input from their smart and respected team, decision-making suffers.
- A biased group facilitator. If the person chairing a meeting has their own agenda going in, it's likely that agenda will drive the outcome—not necessarily the best one developed by the group (even if the group decision-making structure appears to be collegial).
- Missing data. Whether decision-making is top-down, lateral, formal, or collegial, if there are gaps in information, it's difficult to make good decisions. Every effort should be made to gather all available data, even data that is incongruent with the hypothesis or “what the group wants from the data.” Also, gaps in information are information in and of themselves—“known unknowns” matter. (Sorry if that just gave anyone the Rumsfeld heebie jeebies).
- Let go of ego and adopt a collegial decision-making approach. View team members as equally valuable individuals who bring different skill sets and points of view to the table.
- Consider personal biases prior to meetings and projects. Be honest with oneself and map out every level of personal bias—upbringing, education, political views, past work experience, etc. Ensure biases don’t cloud thinking or the final output.
- Collect all available data. Delegate and ask team members to bring their own sets of data to the table, focused on specific areas or angles related to the topic at hand where they have experience and subject matter expertise.
- Prioritize helping others succeed above your own success and be genuine about it. Demonstrating that you are invested in helping others achieve their goals will result in them being more willing to be equally helpful.
- Keep in mind the individuality of each member of the group. My biggest mistake as a first-time manager (and second time, and third time) was assuming that everyone wanted to be a CxO at some point in their career. Not everyone prioritizes career advancement as much as work-life balance, or pursuing passion projects, hobbies, or side hustles. It’s about understanding the objectives of each individual and supporting their value systems while getting the contributions you need from them to make a project and team successful.
- Gain trust. Lateral leaders are most effective when individuals, teams, organizations, and all other stakeholders know they have a partner in you who approaches every recommendation and task with thoughtfulness, fairness, and integrity.
Reflecting on these prompts reminded me of what true leadership is all about. It’s not about "being the smartest person in the room." It’s about creating an environment where others feel seen, valued, and inspired to contribute. Whether in the corporate world, grad school, or anywhere else, these lessons learned (often the hard way) remain timeless.
