What does it look like to have an ease to your leadership?
I get together at 7 am on Monday mornings with a mentor, to kick off the week with a thoughtful conversation. It’s intentionally in this very first spot of the week, so it’s named A1, after the very top left cell on a spreadsheet.
Today, the topic turned to our kids. His son just accepted his spot on a college sports team for next year after a tour of schools and programs. The key factor in his son’s decision was, not surprisingly, ‘the coach.’ When I asked what made this coach special, the answer was this:
“There was just an ease to his leadership. Some kids thrive with coaches who are out there with a megaphone. Mine thrives with someone who gives calm, clear feedback, in a way that feels comfortable and easy.”
“An ease to his leadership” felt like a call to action. How could my leadership — at home, at work, in our community — operate with more ease? For me, I think it’s three things:
- Being prepared and on time, so that people feel like their time is respected and I have energy to dedicate to our work together.
- Establishing clear cadences for the most important discussions (like 1:1s with the team, or company All Hands), so that the energy is toward the content, not cramming in “another meeting.”
- Practicing listening more than I talk, so that I am supporting our team in getting to their own decisions, rather than telling them what to do.
When the potentially challenging stuff — company-wide reporting, 1:1 conversations, and conflict resolution is built in to the day, and I can come at the conversations prepared and ready to listen, it’s a lot easier to have “ease” in the way I lead. That’s a good intention to start the week!
