52. Are you operating at the right leadership level?

Quite a few years ago, when I worked in corporate, myself and a couple of team members where invited to go to a company event in Hong Kong.

It was going to be a get together for all the tech leaders of various countries and some of their key team members.

It was exciting and bound to be a great company event. The company always put on a show! Lots of entertainment!

It was also an opportunity to network, meet other team members, do some team training, a reward for hard work and also an opportunity to enjoy what Hong Kong had to offer. 

It was going to be fun and also a trip that was only offered to a few team members every couple of years. 

It was a big deal. 

There were three of us going.

A few days before the event - Sally,  came to me and said.

‘I am not sure that I can go, I am really busy with the team here and I don’t have the time to go’. 

I was sooooo suprised.  

It was a big deal to be invited.

It was going to be a huge deal not to turn up.

My insides were screaming - you have to go!

Sally continued to tell me 100 work reasons why she couldn’t.

I sat and listened.

Then I said ‘Sure, if you don’t think you can go, then call up Mr Big Boss and let him know.’

I have seen this a lot in my career.

Women do not spend the time investing in themselves. They spend time doing the job of others forsaking the time to work on their career. For Sally to continue to be seen as a leader at this organisation she needed to attend.

It would have been very disrespectful not to attend. 

But what I decided in the moment, was that I wasn’t going to catch her. 

I was going to hand the accountability and responsibility for her decision back to her.

I wasn’t going to help her not go.

I was going to hand the problem back to her for her to decide what she should do. 

If you want to grow your Career as a leader, then you need to understand - what is your job and what do you need to hand back to the team. 

At that moment I realised that I had been catching her. 

She had been catching her team members.

We were both operating down a level.  

Step 2. Adapt Your Leadership Style

 Be flexible in your leadership style. Recognize that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership.

Tailor your leadership style to match the specific needs of the situation. For example, in a crisis, you may need to provide clear guidance and take charge, while in times of growth and stability, you can adopt a more empowering and delegative style.

Step 3: Build a High-Performing Team:

Focus on developing a team that can operate autonomously and make informed decisions when needed.

Invest in team members' skill development, provide guidance, and foster a culture of accountability and collaboration.

Step 4: Strategic Thinking:

Embrace strategic thinking and vision when appropriate. Look beyond day-to-day operations and consider the long-term direction and goals of your team or organization.

Communicate a compelling vision and strategy that aligns with the broader mission of your organisation.

Step 5: Effective Communication:

Communication is crucial in operating at the right leadership level. Ensure that your messages are clear, concise, and tailored to the audience.

Be an active listener and seek feedback from your team to gauge whether you're operating at the right leadership level for the situation.

THE CONFIDENCE PROJECT - GROW YOUR CAREER. JOIN NOW

And do you want to know what happened with Sally?

She decided to go to the event. 

She had a great time. 

And when I moved on from my Leadership role there, she took my place and grew her Career. 

Would that have happened if she didn't turn up?

Who knows - she turned up. 

This Week’s Action Step

Are you operating at the right level?

Are there some things that you could delegate or drop the ball on - for the team to pick up?