The True Test of Leadershipโฆ
I remember entering the professional chapter of my life wanting take on the world and prove my worth to everyone around me. I put my hand up for everything, got involved, became a team player, thought outside the box and worked hard.
Then, I was given management responsibilities.
I continued on the same path- but with the additional responsibilities of wanting to be the best manager I could.
I brought my team along, showed them how to work effectively, advocated for resources, set us up for success, delegated, asked questions, asked for feedback.
I read books on management and leadership and felt I was ticking off all of the boxes for a successful team, but I noticed that while we were getting the work done, we didnโt seem to be growing or innovating in the work that we were doing- at least not as a team.
It felt that people weren't challenging themselves, taking initiative, or looking for better ways to move forward.
Frankly, it felt like the whole team was clocking in and clocking out, waiting for their next task.
I really struggled because my team was only expecting me to do my job- to be their manager- but it felt like all of the pressure was on my shoulders and that any forward movement had to come from me.
And then I realised- I wasn't giving my team the chance to be innovative. I wasn't giving them the safe space to try something new, or take a risk. I wasn't allowing them to think about their work, as opposed to just doing it.
When I told my team what to do, they did it. But I never stopped to see if they understood why or how they were doing the work.
When I showed my team how to do something, I didn't ask if there was a different approach, or even better, ask how they would do it themselves.
When we had a problem, I solved it, instead of asking what the best way forward could be.
Looking back, I wasn't a bad leader, I was only being a good manager.
But what I wanted from my team (and what they needed from me) was for them to have an understanding of and take accountability for their work.
Once I realised that the job of a leader isn't to have all of the answers, but to create space for their team to figure it out for themselves, and empower and trust them to do so-
everything changed for the better.