Early on in my career I desired to be the “boss.” The one that called the shots. I wanted to be the most important person in the room. As I matured and advanced in my career I learned an important leadership lesson.
“It’s not about me!”
From my first leadership role where I led a team of 3 to my largest opportunity of leading a team of 150 I discovered a leadership truth. I quickly learned the more time I invested in helping others reach their goals and becoming the best they could be the more I benefited also. Our natural human instinct tells us to focus on protecting our own interest. We naturally look for opportunities that will benefit ourselves even at the expense of others. We become prideful and self-serving. When we become prideful and self-serving we are no longer leading; we are trying to control in order to keep our standing.
If you want to be a great leader you must first come to the realization that it’s not about you. You are evaluated as a leader by your ability to help others accomplish a task with high efficiency. In other words, your success depends on the success of your team. If you invest in training, supporting, and rewarding your team they will flourish. They will recognize the investment and trust you have placed in them. You will witness them working hard to accomplish the mission and goals you have set. And when they succeed guess who also succeeds…..Y-O-U.
This week think about the people on your team and how you can help them be more successful in their career. Is there a professional designation or training they could attend that will help them be more successful? Can they shadow someone in the organization that can help them obtain a new skill? Is there a special project they can lead that will show your trust in their ability while giving them valuable experience? As a leader focus on the development of your team’s individual careers. It will pay great dividends for your career.
About Kareem Slater
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