Man, this one rings so true for me right now.
A leader walks into a meeting, and maybe some goals are set. We want X amount of new business, we want X amount of improved efficiency. So what does a leader do? They get to work! They make sure the right people are in place, maybe help with a process, and then let the team get to it. They monitor the progress, coach them, inspire them, and congratulate them! Job well done, right?
Those are all tangible, measurable things—clear as day.
But what about what we can't see? What about five years down the line, not just next month? Maybe by then, the organization looks dramatically different. A great leader can not only envision that future but is making moves today to lead the team toward that better place, actively influencing others to see that future state too.
What about the challenges we struggle to see? What if all we focus on are current stresses or problems—are we able to see the root cause of those issues? A great leader drills down from everyday issues to deeper, systemic problems and is always thinking long-term, crafting strategies to solve them.
A great leader has a way of challenging what we know and what we believe is possible.
Years ago, I was a gymnastics coach—probably about 15 years ago. The goal was to win state. Okay, great, let’s win state. And we did! But looking back, that wasn’t the most important way I contributed to those young athletes. When a gymnast had a mental block (yes, those are real—thank you, Simone Biles, for bringing this to light) and couldn’t vault, she was terrified and hysterical. She kept saying she’d never do it again. We took our time, built backup drills, and eventually, she did it. I’ll remember that vault for the rest of my life.
She couldn’t see that she could do it—it was so far out of reach and uncomfortable for her. But we got there—together.
I have been lucky in my career to work with GREAT leaders and coaches that have challenged me. To reach for something that seemed wild, and they made me so uncomfortable! Thank you for that.
