My Three Hard & Fast Rules to… Leadership

My leadership philosophy is simple: a boss has the title, but a leader has the people. In full transparency, this is not a lesson that came to me easily in my career (or early). It took years of often following the wrong examples and even sometimes discrediting the right ones, to realize that REAL leaders can come from all parts of an organization. This is why I believe that it is my duty to be a role model for the good things I have learned and to help guide others away from the traps I have fallen into.

The reality is that what makes leadership so difficult is that nobody ever sits you down and "teaches" you what being a real leader is all about. More often than not, we equate leadership with whoever is in charge, whoever has the most experience, or whoever is the loudest in a room. What I’ve learned is that true leadership requires listening over speaking, checking your ego at the door, and making a commitment to your team. I believe that leadership is directly related to ownership – borne out of the desire to contribute rather than simply the desire to achieve.  

I’m Alyson Griffin, and here are my Three Hard & Fast Rules to… Leadership.

Rule #1: Hierarchy Does Not Always Reveal Where the Leaders Sit

The conventional view of leadership assumes that leaders are the few individuals at the top of an organization. We think that we become leaders when we reach a particular position, pay grade or level of seniority. The reality, however, is that leadership is not a position or title. Leaders don’t just occupy big corner offices, they exert influence to affect change; they influence team members to achieve a common goal and to deliver excellence. 

The lesson here is not to conflate hierarchy with leadership – in other words, while position and authority provide you with the leverage to lead, it does not automatically make you a leader. In fact, in every organization you can find examples of people with fancy titles that fail to demonstrate leadership. Too many times, I’ve experienced very senior-level executives act horribly when handling tough or stressful situations or who have let politics and ego fuel their decision making. What this results in is an unmotivated team disheartened with the management chain. For me, it results in a craving for good leadership and is what motivates me to become the type of leader I desire for myself. Instead of getting discouraged by the lack of leadership in your organization, I encourage you to see this as an opportunity to reveal where the leaders really sit by becoming a champion of change. I am reminded of Donald H. McGannon’s famous quote, “Leadership is action, not a position.”

Rule #2: Leadership Does Not Have a “One Size Fits All” Solution

Leadership doesn’t have a one size fits all solution, and there is no magic formula that will instantly make you a great leader. To that end, I like to refer to myself as a student of leadership and in this never-ending course, I have learned many lessons along the way. Three that I consider the foundation to my leadership style are:

·        “Is this your best work?”:

o  Early in my career, as a junior coordinator at a PR agency, one of my first assignments was to draft a press release and turn it into a high-level executive. I walked into her office to drop off the first draft, but before she took it out of my hand she simply asked, “is this your best work?” What I quickly learned in that moment was that she wasn’t asking me a trick question, she wanted to push me into understanding that if I was ready to deliver this to her, it needed to be representative of the best work I could possibly deliver. She was being a leader – leading me to double check my work, leading me to understand what “client-ready” meant, and leading me to take pride in my work. This simple question has become a leadership staple of mine, even decades later. A bad leader berates, overreacts and leads out of fear – a good leader carves out a path for success and fosters an environment of accountability and development.

·        The Power of the Admin:

o  Every organization has a version of this person or group of people – they equally have direct access to executives and also a direct ear to every water-cooler buzz and hum. I’ve learned that this person is often times one of the most important voices in the room because his/her well-balanced perspectives are invaluable. What the “power of the admin” really stands for is power of listening. Part of being a good leader is knowing how to listen and when to elevate others’ voices, understanding that insights and perspectives of others, regardless of title or position, are often what fills in your blind spots. This is where humility comes in and the reminder that a team who is heard will rally for their leader the loudest.

·        With Leadership, Comes Ownership:

o  I once heard a saying that stuck with me, “leaders eat last.” This means that a leader does not simply assign a project, walk away, and then circles back to receive the accolades. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, a good leader knows that success belongs to the team, while accountability and ownership belongs to the him/her. I believe in the mentality that “no person is left behind.” Whether that means burning the midnight oil to get a project past the finish line or getting into the trenches to offer nothing other than a coffee run or moral support – the leader that I aspire to be is the type that will roll up my sleeves and get a little dirt under my fingernails. Leaders are owners – in other words, being a leader isn’t about being “in charge;” it is about being “charged with” your team, their moral, and their trust in your commitment to them.

Rule #3: Show Them. Inspire Them. Support Them.

When I think of the type of leader I want to be, I think of the type of employee I am. The truth is that I am selfish – I NEED to feel inspired. To me, I MUST look for it in every job I hold and in every leader that I follow. I have said “if I’m not having fun I’ll curl up and wilt away.” Dramatic, yes - but it’s sort of true. I can’t get excited about a job if I don’t feel like it matters. This is why, as a leader, I carve out projects that I enjoy and ask team members to think differently to meet the needs of the business, but also to be excited about the work they propose. Put simply, when you feel pride in what you do, you’ll feel pride in how you do it.

When I think of myself as a leader, I like to envision myself as a football coach giving an impassioned speech in the locker room about how every play matters. In my role as a leader today, working for Intel, the reality is that every play really does matter - our technology is transforming the world in ways we never thought possible. Our team has the resources, freedom and privilege to sit at the edge of tomorrow and dream really big dreams. I encourage them to walk the halls with their heads held high, because the collective “we” are more than just one email, one campaign launch, and one new silicon product - we are the shapers and makers of the future. As their leader, my job is to show them what they are doing matters, inspire them to passionately engage with the business and above all else support them so they know they have a safety net…me.

It’s often said that being a leader is the most challenging job you’ll ever have, and I could not agree more. There is frankly no book (or LinkedIn advice article) that will perfectly encapsulate what makes up a good leader, and that is because leadership isn’t something you do, it is something you are. However, what I have learned is that if you check your title at the door, are willing to listen and learn, and inspire through action and example – you’ll find your team will become your people, and they’ll follow even when they didn’t know you were leading the way.