My earliest memory of a conversation about leadership dates to 1980 when I joined Girl Scout troop 239 in my hometown of Bayamón, Puerto Rico. I was eight years old and under the impression that leading was “something” that grown-ups asked other grown-ups to do. After all, it made sense to me that someone should be in charge. Thankfully, my understanding and view of leadership began to expand over time through conversations, reading and having repeated opportunities to be at the head of groups and projects.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the verb [to] lead as “To direct operations, activity or performance on a course or in a direction; to have charge of; to guide on a way, especially by going in advance; and to bring to some conclusion or condition.”
I invite you to read this definition again and to spend a few moments considering the words or phrases that stand out to you. When I went through this exercise some time ago, I recognized that this definition of leading was aligned with what I’d heard and believed about leadership in the past: a leader is the person in charge, the one who has the information that others don’t, the one who defines the path forward, the one who makes the difficult decisions, and the one responsible for achieving goals and the desired outcomes. Words such as reliability, productivity, education, experience and involvement also came to mind as I recalled many conversations, workshops and circumstances where the role of a leader was primarily defined within the context of position, knowledge and expectations of achievement. In other words, a leader had a position of authority, a leader knew or had information, and a leader was a high performer. It occurred to me that if I defined leadership exclusively within this context, I might be tempted –as I strived to become a better leader– to focus on getting ahead, controlling data and getting results. If unchecked, this approach to leadership could lead me to become self-serving and self-centered, leaving behind a trail of broken trust, damaged relationships and short-lived success.
I love baking; it’s like science. I know the exact amounts of flour, yeast, water, salt and other ingredients necessary to make bread. Different kinds of bread require different proportions and number of ingredients, different kneading and proving times, and different baking times and temperatures. But I know that if I work slowly and follow the recipe and directions precisely, I will consistently serve beautiful, aromatic, tasteful, open bread worthy of a handshake from Paul Hollywood. Unfortunately, leading is not like baking. And with so many variables to consider, how could I possibly come up with a leadership recipe that could guarantee my success every time I was called to lead?
As a young leader in a fast-growing, service-oriented organization, I challenged myself to think differently. I started wondering: What if being a leader is more than knowing or doing? What if being a leader is also about who I am and how I relate to others? Over the next several years I committed to changing my view and definition of leadership through reading, training and having meaningful conversations with leaders that I admired. Today I believe that we all have a responsibility to lead –to varying degrees– in the places where we live, work and play; and that the extent to which we are called to lead depends not only on the roles and responsibilities that have been delegated to us, but also on the relationships that we are a part of and the unique circumstances we find ourselves in. Leading looks differently from person to person. A single person will need to lead in different ways depending on the situation.
There are five core values that make up my anatomy of leadership: authenticity, generosity, humility, service and stewardship. In this blog, I will share what I’ve learned and believe about these core values and discuss how the transformation of my leadership style has impacted my personal and professional life. Let’s wonder together how each of us can play an instrumental role in the integration and growth of our organization by becoming differentiated leaders.