The word “grateful” doesn’t even begin to cover today... Pouring into people is my passion, so the opportunity to invest time in our leaders at Michaels as a kick off to the day was a JOY! 🤩
I shared advice based on personal experiences, rounding out to a list of 11 Leadership Lessons I’ve taken to heart in my career to date. Dropping those below for my LinkedIn crew to leverage too! ⬇️
Would love to hear your “lessons learned”! Share in the comments below to keep the learning goodness going. Here’s to our continued growth, y’all! 🎉
✨ Do not fear - most fear is rooted in fear of people - what they will think, how they will react. Fear drives poor judgement - eliminate it to operate at the fullest level.
✨ Create clarity, not chaos - we don’t make good decisions when we rush. Slow down, think critically and then move into action. Also talk straight - say what needs to be said in a way where others can hear it… sugarcoating is not clear or kind.
✨ Get out of your own way - instead of worrying and saying “what if I fail?”, try switching your brain to consider “what if it all works out?”
✨ “No” can mean “Not right now” - you can’t always have it your way. Sometimes our ideas stick, sometimes they don’t. Give things time if you get a “no” and try again.
✨ Follow “yes” with “and” - get a crazy request? Instead of being the no police, tell the person “yes”, then describe what it will require to get that done with your “and”. Ex: Yes, we can take on that project. And I need XYZ to make it happen within the timeline you’ve laid out. Win, win!
✨ Name it to claim it - naming your emotions helps you claim power over them. Speak what you are experiencing and pull it into your consciousness to address things with a clear mindset. Same for your hopes and dreams - name what you want and go after it!
✨ Share wins, take the fall - the team gets the glory when things go well… every time. And YOU take the hit for them when things get off track. Period.
✨ Let people help you - being a leader is not about doing everything yourself. Leverage your team fully and also connect with peers. Success is about maximizing the team and your relationships.
✨ Polish the stones - set projects up for success with crisp milestones at the beginning before the team sets out to accomplish the work and the end before things officially launch. Helps the team move with speed and avoids unnecessary roadblocks along the way.
✨ Set boundaries - not everyone needs access to you 24/7 - establish expectations for communication vehicles and response times. For me, texts are urgent, IMs are more “FYI”, and emails are something I carve out times to read and reply to.
✨ Last, but not least, be a shepherd - when one of your flock is struggling, spend the extra time and attention to get that person back up to bright. If one part of the team is under more pressure, roll up your sleeves and help them accomplish the mission.
#leadershipdevelopment #bettertogether #growthmindset
