This week's newsletter leaves the tech to the side and focuses on the human aspect. Please excuse me while I wax a bit nostalgic and take the opportunity to reflect on something that has had a profound impact on me personally over the past year.
Particularly at a time when we are faced with so much turmoil and conflict, whether it’s the looming economic recession or civil unrest, true leaders are imperative. They give us the extra courage to move outside of our comfort zone, see things from a different perspective, or encourage us to have a little faith. With so much uncertainty in the world, we need leaders who inspire us more than ever. After a few attempts, some more successful than others, I have finally come to understand that being a leader is about how you elevate others to their full potential. I think, we frequently underestimate the amount of humanity required to run a program and foster the people who will eventually step up and become the new generation of leaders.
When I stepped into my first leadership position, my focus was the mission, to drive innovation and business value. My job was clear: convince a team of engineers to question the status quo of Cloud engineering and figure out how to scale that to nearly 3000 teams without impacting the run time. Career development, trust, enablement, receiving feedback and even more so having the difficult conversations were secondary considerations as I forged ahead. In hindsight, that was a gross error on my part, particularly in an environment that required a high performing team where trust was critical.
In my experience, it is easy to make ranging proclamations and lofty goals in an attempt to emulate a leader, but empowering people and instilling ownership to be a true leader is more difficult because it requires us to constantly, honestly examine and accordingly adjust our beliefs and perceptions. Often, similar to adopting software, it is easier to fixate on the project, neglecting the larger picture, fostering the needs of our teams, which in turn would give them the foundation to become a high performing team.
Over the past week, I have been confronted, in a positive way, about my beliefs, about my leadership approach, both as a professional and as an individual. I have never been more convinced that integrity and openness are fundamental to elevate others and empower the future. That uncomfortable conversation, the ability to give that feedback in the moment, delivered with integrity, fosters a fortified trust and a bond amongst colleagues. As leaders, we have the power and responsibility of driving a culture, a standard, but that change requires us to hold ourselves accountable, as well. Ultimately, it will define our legacy.
My career has undoubtedly been shaped by remarkable leaders, without whom I would not be standing where I am today. The leaders who recognize raw qualities in individuals and foster them, even to the detriment of their headcount, while celebrating that success when an individual moves on. The leaders who are catalysts of positive change, even at a personal risk to their career. The leaders who actively seek ways to improve their own leadership skills and bring their peers on that journey. The leaders who takes a risk on the underdog, recognising, understanding how to elevate them for success. The leaders who truly see the power and capabilities of their team and let them run.
For everything you have done, continue to do, and still have yet to achieve, you are the catalysts for change, innovation, inspiration, the future.