I have been asked recently what I attribute my success to and how have I been able to grow in my career. After thinking about this for a moment I responded that it was when I was a store manager for Target and realized that it is not possible for me to do everything that it requires to be a successful store manager; I must rely on my team. This is when I started to really understand the importance of leading, developing, and training my teams.
That “special sauce” or “fairy dust” of being successful is rooted in having the right team and leading them to achieve results that they might not have thought possible. I have been lucky enough in my 23+ year career to have been able to be a people leader of teams of 15 to 300+ and when I reflect on what I have learned from leading them, these are the five key leadership qualities that I have learned.
1. Trust
When leading a small to large team I must trust that the individuals who are on the team are going to perform and do the jobs that they have been hired to do. However, this does not mean I trust blindly but I verify that they are staying on course and validating results. It also must be reciprocated by me for my team to trust that when I say I am going to do something it gets done.
2. Diversity
One of the lessons I learned early on in my career in leading teams is to ensure that the team is diverse. Mostly young leaders, but not all, make the mistake of hiring people who are like them (personality, leadership style, industry background). When I did this, I learned that these individuals had what I like to refer to as the same “blind spots” as myself, meaning that I didn’t always see varying solutions to solve problems. That is why I now am intentional about finding leaders who might not have the same background as me to have that different perspective. I also have learned that these individuals will also challenge me instead of just being “yes” people.
3. Growth Mindset
To keep growing and achieving at a high level I found that I have had to push my team to find that “higher gear." This is why having a growth mindset is so important. I cannot rest on that I have achieved X goal; I celebrate with my team and then it is how do we build on this success to reach that next milestone? I consistently challenge the team to share and learn new skills for us to always be growing as individuals as well.
4. Accountability
I believe that for some people when they hear the word “accountability” it is taken in a negative context. I have found that when I hold my top performers accountable to continuing to achieve at a high level they appreciate it as they are being recognized for their performance and contributions. I like to be held accountable and have learned that when I hold my team accountable for either top performance or bottom performance, they value the feedback and know exactly what they need to work on.
5. Servant Leader
I view my role as a leader as I must invest in my team. I take the time to learn from my direct reports how they like to be coached, how they like to be recognized, and where they want to go in their career. I also view my role as a leader to anticipate and remove potential roadblocks that can prevent my team from being successful. The analogy that I like to use is this: My team should be able to jump into their “Hot Rod” and fly down the highway without hitting any construction zones, but when they do, I quickly work to resolve these issues so they can get back to flying down the highway.
I have been guided by these key areas now throughout my career which is why I believe that I have also been able to work in different industries and still have great success. At the end of the day, it does not matter what industry any of us work in; it is about people, and if you can lead people, you can and will be successful.
