Secrets Only You Know
Mark Spykerman
Technology Empowered Executive | Leadership | Strategy | Transformation | Change Management
So much of life is about knowledge, and often the lack of it!?
This week I was walking through Target and I heard a child sobbing. Then I saw him. He was crushed, tears flowing down his cheeks and deep guttural sobs reverberating through the aisle. I felt so bad for this little boy. What could have happened in his tiny world to push him over the edge??
Then I saw his exasperated mother pushing a shopping cart with an infant in the front of the shopping cart holding the hand of her little one. She then explained, just a little loudly, one of life’s hard truths.
At first gently, “We are not going to get cheese balls.”
Then firmly, “We are never going to get cheese balls.”?
Finally, and a bit sarcastically, “You don't even like cheese balls!!”
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Wow. Certainly the three year old was testing the waters of his power to get what he thought he wanted but his mother was holding her ground. She as a mother is an expert in parenting. She knew things that the little boy did not know and she was doing what was best for him. She knew the secret of cheese balls, he didn’t even like them! She also knew that if she succumbed to his wish to purchase the cheese balls her home would be covered in tiny yellow fingerprints or if she is like me, all the cheese balls would be consumed by the adult!
In business, we're all experts in something - finance, marketing, operations, audit, technology, etc. We spend years honing these skills and gathering valuable insights along the way. Yet sometimes we don’t voice our opinions or we aren’t asked what we think and the opportunity to grow and improve is lost.??
One secret I’ve learned as a leader is to ask people, “What do you think?”. The goal of a leader is not to have all the answers, it’s to enable the team to achieve their goals. By asking for others' opinions and giving them permission and responsibility to solve the problem you will unlock more secrets and achieve so much more.
What's one professional 'secret' you've learned that could help others in your field? Or maybe share your snack food craving stories too...we've all been there!?
Share in the comments below.?
Mark Spykerman Great article, all of us can relate as parents or former children! One secret I have found helpful in business - sometimes imperfectly - is to try and make it about others and not myself. If you sincerely try to serve others - whether employees, customers or clients - sincerely and empathetically listen, and look for ways to help solve their problems and remove road blocks, they will have success. In them being successful, you will have success. It doesn't mean we don't have ambitions, goals or tenacity, but rather we channel that into making others great.
IT Visionary with 21+ Years of Experience | Building and Leading High-Impact IT Strategies
2 个月Hi Mark , rightly explained leadership most important quality and most of the time missing with most of leaders those who would like to become God then Guru