The Mentor | #45 | Leading
Each month, I share 3 things I've read on skills, careers, and personal development.
“You’re going to have to care about everything, more than anything.” -The Bear
I saw an interview recently where a person was being asked about wins/losses, good quarters vs. bad quarters, and the inevitable ups/downs. The point the person made was that no one will ever remember any of these things. Instead, people will only remember the environment that a leader creates, the standards they set, and their ability to develop other leaders to do more than they thought possible.
That got me thinking about why some people progress from individual contributor to manager to leader, and others do not. It’s never just one factor, it’s rarely just hard work, and it’s rarely just ‘smarts’. I actually think it is much more intentional than any of those things. The people that progress to leadership roles acquire very specific skills, based on seeking unique experiences, and have a healthy bit of luck along the way (luck that they typically create for themselves).
This made me wonder if there is a way to think about leadership whereby anyone could assess their skills/experiences and the relative progress:
I do believe it is hard to acquire some of these skills in arrears. Therefore, it’s important to learn how to be a great individual contributor while you are an individual contributor and so on.
Patience and persistence always required.
1
The best definition of “Lead” I have ever found is said to have originated in a four-hundred-year old Scottish dictionary: “To go before and show the way.”
Managing, Leading, and Following
2
In that moment, I realized that, as an eighth grader, JP has already learned one of the most important lessons of leadership. If someone matters to you, make sure they know it.
3
It’s important to note there are always going to be trade-offs when you’re searching for success in any area of life.
Interesting and Insightful. Thank you Rob.