You got Skills (Yes. Even if it comes easily) Part 2
Whether you realize it or not, you have a leadership philosophy.
The way you think about leadership. The way you lead. The way you communicate, act, interact with people, make decisions, see things - these all make up a leadership ethos that you have.
Knowing what your leadership philosophy is allows you to:
Make decisions and act in alignment
Mentor and coach others in their own development
Have a point of view that is uniquely yours (which is a big asset)
One of the things that can get in the way of knowing your leadership ethos is what we looked at in the last article - underestimating your skills and knowledge.
(If you missed that one, you can peep it here. It’s got a tool for taking inventory of your skills and mapping that to whatever phase of the leadership cycle you are in.)
From the article:
“It is really easy to assume that what we know is no big deal.
That’s because it is the water we swim in. It seems like a no-big deal to you because it is what you live and breathe day to day.
Then we assume everyone knows that thing and we can end up:
Discounting our skills, knowledge, background
Getting annoyed when it’s not easy for someone else
Forget that they are skills that can be taught and/or further developed”
Last time we focused on the first bullet, now let's take a gander at the last bullet.
When you assume that what you know is easy or “just plain common sense”, you end up discounting what it might take someone else to do that thing.
Maybe you have a stellar track record of hiring people that are a great fit.
Maybe you excel at mapping the technical/product/people side of an initiative to why it matters to the organization.
Maybe you have a strong muscle in dealing with conflict.
Maybe you can easily pick up social cues and adjust accordingly.
Think about the things that seemingly come naturally to you (even if it’s from years of practice and wasn’t all that natural before).
How often do you assume that other people can also do those things?
Well some can.
Some can not.
When we assume that other people can meet that skill easily, we:
Underestimate the level of support they actually need
Don’t ask them the questions that would allow them to learn
Be left disappointed that they didn’t do it as well as you could have and mutter to yourself “this is why I have to do everything.”
When you can really acknowledge the things you do well, you can start getting curious about what allows you to do them well. Once you have identified the ingredients that outline how you are able to do them well, you can teach/mentor/coach others around it.
Note: This doesn’t mean they have to do it exactly like you for it to be done well (Ugh. I know right?!). Their process will look different. It does mean you can support them in what their ingredients are going to look like.
Your ability to own what you do well and translate it in a way that others can learn from is part of your leadership ethos. It is part of your version of leadership. It is part of the range that you bring to your leadership.
It is also impactful.
I bet you remember the leaders and mentors and coaches that took the time and energy to meet you where you are and develop a skill with you.
(I also bet you remember the ones that were real ass-hats, let’s not be that.)
Not sure where to start with this? Give these questions a go:
What have you received feedback on that you do well?
What ingredients (skills/beliefs/behaviors/decisions/resources.etc) allow you to do them well?
If you were to teach a class on this thing you do well, what would be the three most important points to relay?
Everybody wins when you recognize what you bring to the spaces you are in.
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