 Help your team achieve greatness (when you turn your back)
Great leaders inspire others to have confidence in themselves, and rise to their own personal leadership challenge. As a leader, the impact that you have on others goes well beyond the output they deliver in the immediate term.
By Andrea Casabene – Senior Facilitator of the Australian Applied Management Colloquium.
I was searching for a leadership quote that would sum up what leadership means to me. In my search I found a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt that was perfect:
“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader. A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
As I read this quote I began to think about my own leadership journey and why this quote resonated so much with me. The answer to this was quite simple. It was because of Harry, and the impact he had not only on my career but also my life.
I had been in a leadership role for about eight years when it was announced that Harry (not his real name) was to me my new manager.
Harry was a larger than life personality. Whenever he spoke it was with passion and authority. When he walked into a room he instantly commanded attention from everyone. He happily shared all his skills and knowledge while also allowing you to learn and grow.
Had I met Harry earlier in my career, I would have probably been intimidated by him – not because he was unapproachable, but because of my apprehension around senior leaders.
The day I met Harry I decided to take the bull by the horns, overcome any of my fears and approach him with the confidence I knew was somewhere inside me, but often struggled to come out. From the moment I met Harry, I felt comfortable in his presence.
Through the course of the 18 months I worked with Harry, he showed enormous confidence in me. He saw something in me that I had failed to see.
It was not long before he had increased my responsibilities and role because he had great faith in me. I guess there was something in me that said, ‘Well if he thinks I am that good I had better live up to it’.
With hindsight
As I look back on my career 10 years on, there is no doubt in my mind that it was Harry’s confidence and belief in me that allowed me to flourish and become the successful leader I am today.
So you can see why this quote resonated so strongly for me. In my mind Harry was the greatest leader I ever worked for because he really did inspire me to have confidence in myself.
When Harry left the business I made a point of thanking him for what he had done for me. I will never forget his reply. He said, “Don’t thank me, do it for someone else”.
Passing on the baton
In recent debates around women and leadership, there’s a notion around helping the next generation of young female leaders climb the ladder. The concern is that when women make it to the top, they forget how they got there and the importance of serving as a guide to the next generation of leaders.
If this notion carries a seed of truth, it’s one that’s applicable to both men and women alike. As Harry said, we all have a responsibility to do it for someone else. How we do it is a different matter.
Where do you meet your team?
As a leader, start with this question: What impact do you have on your team? An important sub-question could be, How do you know where to meet each member of your team?
Even though Harry showed enormous confidence in me, in some respects I met him half way. Some team players, however, may not be able to go that far.
As leaders, we have a responsibility to know our team members and ascertain what they need in order to rise to their own leadership challenge.
As the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 articulated the point, if we are to be great leaders – rather than merely good ones – we need to know how to inspire people to have confidence in themselves.
A personal challenge
Over the next week, after each interaction with your team members, write down your reflections on what impact you think you have on your team.
Don’t edit or censor yourself. Just write down a point here and there on what you imagine others are taking from your leadership style.
The impact you have on others isn’t just about the output they deliver in the immediate term. It’s about what they achieve when you turn you back. ●
About Andrea
Andrea Casabene
is a Senior Facilitator of the Australian Applied Management Colloquium. Feel free to send in your comments and questions direct to Andrea: acasabene@wtaa.edu.au.
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