Let's Unpack Effective Leadership

Article #1: Know Yourself

Every one of us encounters leadership opportunities during our lives, both personally and professionally.  Whether they are in leading companies, teams, projects, charitable events, or aspects of our family life, we naturally want to be at our best when they come along. Although I believe that we are each born with innate abilities to be a leader, those abilities often require some nurturing and development to truly be effective.  If you are looking to make a successful transition to leadership, or to improve your current performance, I‘d submit that it’s best to start the journey from within, in that you should first fully understand yourself. 

Easier said than done.  Family, friends, health, geography, schooling, important events, personal heroes, the media, travel, involvement in sports or the arts, successes, failures and even fears can all affect who you are and how you behave.  The impact of some of these may be more profound than others, but taking the time to reflect on and appreciate them allows you to more fully embrace your values, your talents, and maybe most importantly your imperfections. 

A few things to think about:

I often hear people say: “I’m not like my mother, or my father, or my siblings.”  I beg to differ.  There’s no denying the genetic commonalities that you share, whether you like them or not.  Some are more apparent than others.  Some you may choose to emphasize, while others you may do everything in your power to suppress. However you feel, don’t ignore the clues that your family members provide about you.  Closely observe their behavior, their interactions and their quirks as helpful clues about your own personality...for better or for worse.

Think also about the friends, acquaintances, mentors, as well as questionable characters that you’ve come in contact with over the years, both directly and indirectly.  These individuals have made impressions on you and it’s important to understand why. Was it something said or done that inspired, disappointed or angered you?  Were your value systems aligned or conflicted?   Did they compel you to think or act differently?  How did others react to their presence?  

A few things to do:

Let’s go “old school” for a moment. Either now, or sometime very soon, please grab a pen and paper (remember those??) and take inventory of the influential people in your life, both past and present. Write down a few select names and answer the questions above.  Assessing their impact on you will offer important insights as to who you are and how you may come across to others. This exercise won’t take long, but it will be time well spent and may even bring back some great memories. 

When I take such an inventory over the course of my life and career, I feel fortunate to have been influenced by many wonderful individuals. I first think of my father whose work ethic and integrity never wavered. He was respectful to everyone, no matter their status or position in life. He also introduced me at a young age to the notion of diversity in the workplace, as he courageously promoted women and minority work associates in the 1960’s and 1970’s before it became an acceptable practice to do so. I’ve tried to follow in his footsteps and honor his memory throughout my career and adult life. 

I also think about my mentors at Aetna, Fidelity Investments and New York Life Investment Management. They each trusted my abilities and continually pushed me out of my comfort zone with increased and/or varied responsibilities. Their confidence in me served as motivation to achieve results that exceeded their expectations. I’ve tried to demonstrate that same level of trust in those who worked for me over the years. 

Learnings have also come from the entrepreneurs that I’ve recently been advising as they look to transform innovative ideas into successful companies. Their creativity, passion and sense of urgency are traits that all great leaders possess.

Finally, I’ll mention a famous Boston athlete who will remain nameless but who has left an indelible impression on me through his generosity and unselfishness. For decades, he has exhibited a sincere and tireless devotion to helping others without drawing attention to himself. He is a hero many times over, but one whose humility is the quality that I most try to emulate. 

What’s ahead:

This is the first in what will become a series of articles on optimizing your abilities as a leader.  As I share my own thoughts and experiences, I hope that, from time to time, a nugget or two will resonate as you pursue your own path of development.  My ultimate objective is to enable you, through effective leadership, to meaningfully improve the lives of those around you. 

Next, we will carry the theme of self-reflection further and discuss environmental factors that have an impact on us.  Thanks for reading, and please feel free to provide feedback and/or leadership topics that you’d like to discuss down the road.

Drew