I read a post about being a great leader that someone shared on Linkedin. I started to wonder, have I been applying any of this with the staff at 217 Recovery? The four paragraphs below are from the post about being a great leader.
Great leaders are not the best at everything. They find people who are best at different things and get them all on the same team.
Leaders who understand that leading others is a privilege also know that no one is an expert in everything. Instead, the most influential businesses are built by a team of people committed to helping the organization achieve its vision and purpose.
According to Brian Scudamore, I've learned that strong leaders don't fight to have the first and last word. Instead, they listen to their teams, ask the right questions, and allow everyone to contribute. Why do so many leaders seem to forget that leading others more than anything else should be held in reverence? You are privileged to be in a position where you can direct, shape, and focus the potential of people to a specific result.
Remember, leadership is all about people, inspiring people to believe that the impossible is possible, developing and building people to perform at heights they never imagine, and it's all about inspiring your team to become the very best version of themselves. When you understand that, your company will become one of the best in the world.
Now, I'll share what I reflected on. First, the last word thing, I immediately started with excuses why I need to have the last word. Some of the excuses were really good too, but I realized I was missing the point.
There are times when someone has to make a decision or give clear direction. That, to me, isn't what that Brian guy was talking about. In those times I would have already spoken with the people working on the project to collect their thoughts or ideas. This is something that probably happens too much when people are looking for a clear direction. I likely confuse them when I ask for their thoughts or ideas. It must also frustrate them when I'm listening to their idea, only to stop them and tell them why it wouldn't work. Being aware I do this and applying different approaches in the future should benefit everyone on the team.
Sometimes, I'm not the best leader, the best coworker, or the funniest person in the room. Often I find myself too emotional and too passionate to listen to other people's ideas or action plans.
It's progress, not perfection, and just like my life in recovery, if I can at least notice what's going on then I have an opportunity to change things. What works for me is how I act and how I don't react to a situation that helps create the desired outcome.
I'll finish this blog post by saying the team at 217 Recovery really did a great job with our Grand Opening yesterday! Marney put it all together and deserves the MVP award! But everyone did a great job representing the recovery community. From paid staff to volunteers, it was a great way to introduce to the community what 217 Recovery's about. We want to help people get and stay sober, we want to have fun, and we want to give back and show the community we're more than our addiction. Once we find a role and a purpose, people in recovery can be what's great about a community.
-Corey