I received a lot of appreciative outreach on my recent LinkedIn post, sharing the 11 lessons I've learned as a leader. I want to share these 11 lessons with you and expand on them to share even more critical learnings I've accumulated over the years. Many of these come at the price of failure and would've drastically improved my leadership had I learned them earlier.
Here they are.
The people on your team are the only thing you can't get wrong. Success is inevitable over a long enough timeline with the right people.
If you struggle to empower your team to move fast and solve problems, then the real problem is trust, not process.
Being vulnerable and transparent as a leader will help your team trust you more and come to you to help solve problems.
The number of years of experience is a very weak signal about the quality of a team member, especially after about 5 years of experience.
You win and lose as a team. As much as it can be tempting to look to individuals for solutions, you need to look to your teams.
Status update meetings are almost always a waste of time.
Even the best teams don't always win.
Outcomes over output, but since you don't always get the result you want, how you get there and what you do after really matters.
Healthy debate is critical to leveraging everyone's talent but doesn't always feel good.
You can't separate execution from strategy. Both are needed for success, but execution is more important.
Never stop learning and improving. Your ability to continually improve is your most significant competitive advantage.
Psychological safety is the foundation of high-performing teams. Foster an environment where team members feel safe taking risks and voicing their opinions.
Effective leaders are great listeners. Practice active listening to truly understand your team's perspectives and concerns.
Decision-making should be pushed down to the lowest appropriate level. Empower your team to make decisions within their areas of expertise.
Celebrate small wins along the way to big goals. This builds momentum and keeps team morale high.
Your energy as a leader is contagious. Manage your own emotional state to positively influence your team's mindset.
Feedback should be frequent, specific, and actionable. Don't wait for annual reviews to provide guidance and recognition.
Culture isn't what you say; it's what you do. Your actions as a leader set the tone for organizational culture.
Diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones. Actively seek out and value different perspectives and backgrounds.
The most effective leaders are also great coaches. Develop your ability to ask powerful questions that unlock your team's potential.
Clarity of purpose is crucial. Ensure every team member understands how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
Resilience is a leadership superpower. Cultivate your ability to bounce back from setbacks and inspire your team to do the same.
The best leaders are lifelong learners. Stay curious and model continuous learning for your team.
Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets. Consistently demonstrate integrity to build and maintain trust.
Effective delegation is about outcomes, not tasks. Focus on the "what" and let your team figure out the "how."
Emotional intelligence is as important as IQ for leadership success. Develop your self-awareness and ability to manage relationships.
Great leaders create more leaders, not followers. Invest in developing leadership skills at all levels of your organization.
Authenticity breeds loyalty. Be genuine in your interactions and true to your values.
The most valuable feedback often comes from your harshest critics. Seek out and listen to dissenting voices.
Your leadership legacy is defined by the success of those you've developed. Focus on growing and empowering others.
I hope these no-fluff learnings are as valuable to you as they have been to me. I wish I had learned so many of them years ago. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, and let me know what other valuable insights you would add! Thank you for reading!