Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1358542
Leadership Insights from the "other side of life" I believe we bring lessons learned from our "other side" of life into our leadership philosophy and style. As a horse enthusiast, my "other side" perspective comes from horseback riding. I grew up riding bareback and competing in a western (think cowboy) saddle. My favorite event was barrel cutting, a timed event where the horse races at breakneck speed around 55-gallon barrels while the rider is leaning either left or right as far as possible. Hitting the dirt hard or bouncing off the barrel and out of the saddle are always a risk. Later in life I learned a more refined riding discipline in an English saddle, Prix Caprilli, which is a combination of jumping and dressage. When preparing for a jump, steady but firm pressure is needed on the bit and with the rider's legs. Too little leg pressure and the horse becomes unbalanced over the jumps. Too much pressure on the bit with tight reins and the horse's pace will be too slow to clear the jump. Loose reins increase the likelihood the horse will balk at the jump and the rider risks a sudden fall. The rider must focus her eyes well beyond the jump, so the horse follows through after clearing the jump. An observer of dressage cannot easily detect the signals the rider is giving the horse. The horse's gait, posture, and direction change as a result of imperceptible leg movement and placement and through the amount of pressure with one or both legs and reins. Something as subtle as the wiggle of a pinkie finger is a command the horse is ready to respond to, and the rider must continually adjust to her horse's mood, movement, reactions, and sometime, overreactions. I believe effective leadership is embedded in the riding principles outlined above: • Focus on the end point. • Subtle but continual guidance is necessary. • Firm and steady pressure is crucial. • Adaptation to reactions is essential. • Expect the unexpected. • When you hit the dirt, get up, dust yourself off, get back in the saddle, and try again. • Relish those exhilarating moments during and at the end of a good ride. • Give that gorgeous creature a hug or special treat before leaving the barn. Worcester Business Journal Hall of Fame Susan West Engelkemeyer President, Nichols College Worcester Business Journal Hall of Fame Ingeborg E. Hegemann Senior consultant, BSC Group, Inc. My personal opinion is that a leader should be authentic. This may take time to develop and, in my opinion, should be reassessed as needed. Specifically: • Be aware of who you are – be self-aware. And know that you and your situation will change! Get input from your team. Have passion for what you do, for your responsibilities. This may not be easy, but I've learned a lot from my peers and my team. We laugh about some comments now, but at the time, hmm. Some comments were just observations made in passing and some of them I loved hearing. • Listen – listen to pros and cons regarding decisions. Listen to your team's comments about how things are going in the company, in the team, in the market place. Over time I've found that other people may have much better ideas that I do, or more passion about a subset of information than I am, or thinks of a new market area or idea I never would have. As part of this, give feedback. Don't be afraid to say "Wow, great idea" or "I need time to think about this" or "I don't know". Ask for help. And, in the end, be prepared to make a decision. • Be honest. I wish this was easy. What I mean is be honest about your intention. Be honest with feedback. Provide data to your team; let them learn and participate. • Value and work for your team. Build your team, promote your team, give feedback, hold them accountable. Encourage them to challenge you. Your team should be better than you in different and, ideally, complementary, ways. Make people laugh. Trust people. At the same time, lead. Lead by example. Pull your weight. Does this always work? No. Is it easy? No. Will disagreements/schisms/tears come about? Yes. But, bottom line, I really do believe in The Golden Rule.