How do you redefine and refine your identity in order to reclaim it. Let's talk about it
1. Get clear on your objectives. Before you change how you do a thing, you need to get clear on the goals and the vision. My goal was to transform the organization. It's what i was hired to do and it was what I was doing. And change is disruptive. So the idea that I was somehow supposed to be able to transform without disrupting was kind of ridiculous. The problem was that I did not take into account the cost of transformation and as a result I was not able to communicate that cost or prepare my team and board to pay it. I've since learned that whenever I set a goal I need to get clear on the cost associated with it. And before we established that goal I have to ask myself my leadership team and my board if we are all prepared to pay it. Then we establish a plan to mitigate the risk while accepting the fact that should challenges occur, we are all on the same page on how we will address them. This way when things start happening that are highly predictable it's less unsettling for everyone involved.
2. Get clear on the tools in your tool kit. Ten different leaders can do things 10 different ways and achieve the same results. While certain principles would apply to all leaders, strategies could differ based on the leader’s strength’s and her team’s talents. The problem with trying to be like someone else is that you do not have their strengths or their unique support system. That is why it is important to familiarize yourself with the tools in your tool kit. As you become intimately acquainted with your strengths, you will get to know what you do well and what you don’t. You will also learn what kind of team you need to build around you. Your team should both compliment your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. I am a very direct person. I am not disrespectful but I am don’t really sugarcoat things, particularly in high-stress and challenging situations. Therefore, I must have a team around me that is not super sensitive and takes criticism like mature adults. I also have to have a team that is competent in their area of expertise, very organized, has the ability to function well in a fast-paced environment, quickly pivot when necessary, disagree courageously but respectfully, takes responsibility, and tells the truth. People-pleaser, everything is fine when it is not, indecisive, kind of personality will not last long on my team. It is also important that they have complimentary skills that I don’t have like patience - especially when it comes to working with their team, high levels of empathy, and a social bandwidth for interacting with people that last more than 2 to 4 hours, which is typically my max.
3. Do Not Allow Others To Define You. Finally, it is important that you do not allow others to define you. Leaders are often misunderstood. People do not understand that we were hired for our ability to do what others will not do, say what others will not say, and go farther than most want to go. We were hired to solve problems not present or complain about them. We were hired to cast a vision and set a course, not to remain stagnant or be okay with the status quo. That alone causes us to have skill sets that are misunderstood and misread by those who do not possess those skills. Here’s an example of what I mean. I might say this to a critic who says that I am pushy, "To some, I may seem pushy. But I am not pushy, I am persistent. I do not settle for the first 'no'. I do not stop at the first road block. I look for alternative routes. I ask questions. I solve problems. I find solutions that allow us to keep going where others would quit. I am not pushy. I am persistent." That is how you redefine a negative assumption about you.
Once you reclaim your identity as a leader and redefine what it means to be you, you can refine your approach to maximize the good and minimize the misunderstandings. So, as the year gets underway, I want to encourage you to reclaim your identity as a leader. Do not allow others to define you. You can’t fight your Golaith wearing someone else’s armor. Now, before we end today’s podcast, let me offer you this word of encouragement.
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