Lessons in Leadership

By Samuel Moore-Sobel

When I was in college, I heard author Dr. Shane Lopez talk about his book, Making Hope Happen. In his talk, he spoke about the need for a good leader to both anticipate problems and to spread hope. Years later, I heard Gen. Colin Powell speak about how inspiration was more important than motivation, and that to be a good leader, one needs to inspire others.

Last fall, I was given the chance to step into a manager role and lead a team of program managers. It is a role that I love – I have learned so much in the intervening months. I’ve learned that managing is not something we can probably ever be fully prepared for. I spent years reading about leadership, devouring business articles, and learning from mentors who were strong leaders in their own right. Despite that preparation, some lessons I could only learn after assuming a managerial role. Whether you are a manager at work or not, we are all leaders to some extent—in our professional or personal lives.

First, I’ve learned that managing during a pandemic brings a unique set of challenges. For instance, I haven’t met most of my team in-person. Our interactions are restricted to phone calls, conference calls, and instant messages. I have to find ways to earn their trust through virtual interaction. Video-conferencing helps, but there is still so much that can get lost in communication without face-to-face conversation. I’m finding that it’s important to be authentic and transparent with my team, so that the intent of my words does not get lost.

I’ve also learned how important it is to cast a vision for my team. As a manager, I am asking team members to work on projects, take on new assignments, and fulfill the various requirements of their roles. This requires me to earn credibility with my team. This can be accomplished in part by providing a clear roadmap for the journey ahead. No one wants to be on a rudderless team. Casting a vision that everyone can buy into allows for my team to feel a vested interest in the future. Connecting the dots to the projects the team is taking on now to where the team will be three to six months down the road will help others derive meaning from their work.

I once had a mentor tell me that to be a good leader, you had to be
“believable as a leader.” Meaning that to gain credibility with your team, you have to find ways to earn your team’s respect. I strive to earn my team’s respect by jumping in and completing any task, no matter how “menial.” I’m finding that being a leader doesn’t mean that there are now tasks that are “beneath me.” In fact, it’s the exact opposite.

I’ve noticed that as a leader, more people are watching; not only my team, but other teams with which I regularly interact. This means I have to lead by example. I work hard to show how I would like my team to interact with others. Sometimes, the most effective way I can lead my team is simply by being an example of what it is I am asking them to be.

I’ve also learned the importance of apologizing to team members. There have been a few instances where this was necessary. Being a good leader doesn’t mean you never say you’re sorry. In fact, admitting fault is a necessary part of leadership. No leader is perfect; we all make mistakes. In my experience, I’ve grown to respect the managers I’ve had or the leaders I have encountered that haven’t been afraid to admit they were wrong. It means they are human, want to rectify the situation, and are working to do better the next time. Seeing this in action is invaluable to earning the respect of your team.

I’ve learned more lessons which I’ll share in a future column. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this: leadership is hard work. It’s easy to get caught up in the demands of the job and forget why we were hired to lead in the first place. Leadership is all about people. Quite simply, a manager’s role is to encourage, inspire, provide constructive feedback, and most of all, to lead with empathy. Especially now, when the world feels like it’s about to fall apart at the seams.

Samuel Moore-Sobel is the author of Can You See My Scars? His book is available on Amazon. For more, visit www.samuelmoore-sobel.com.