Lessons in leadership from course creation
And why it’s OK if you’re not everyone’s cup of tea
In a recent article I talked about the loneliness of command and how many leaders are being forced to make difficult decisions that can leave you feeling vulnerable and, without wishing to be overly dramatic, quite lonely. This month, I thought I’d share leadership lessons I learned when creating my new course.
After all, as leaders, we all know (and expect) there to be some technical learning for us when we do something new, but that wasn’t where the lightbulb moments stopped for me.
Being a chameleon leader
When I set about creating my Host like a Hero course, I knew exactly who I wanted it to help. I could visualise them. I had seen them at virtual events. I knew the challenges they were facing.
I also knew that, in order to write and deliver a course that would have broad and lasting appeal, I would need to make like a chameleon.
What do I mean by that?
Well, anyone who knows me (clients and colleagues alike) will know I have a particular style. I can come across as a bit of a boffin. And I’m not very fluffy. However, I wanted to create a course that had quite a different feel. In order to do so, I had to consider my tone, my choice of words and my delivery style.
I can honestly say that it was quite tiring at times and meant that I spent a lot of time re-writing my content after lapsing to my usual style!
Leadership can be a bit like that too. As humans we are quite young when we first start to learn how to modify our behaviours according to the situation we find ourselves in. It’s something that stays with us throughout our lives. When you’re leading a team (or teams) it’s really important to be in tune with lots of different people whilst being consistent in the messaging you are delivering. That’s something that calls for the keen use of chameleon leadership skills!
Making things happen take bravery
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about the bravery of battle! But when you have a vision that you want to make a reality, it takes bravery so that it happens. After all, you can’t create change without sharing your vision and doing that makes you vulnerable to other people’s points of view, advice, feedback and reviews.
As a leader you are expected to have all the answers, to get things right the first time and to be totally self assured. But even the most experienced of leaders will have moments that leave them questioning their decisions or vision. The trick is knowing when to listen to those doubts and when to bravely push on.
Without question, giving yourself a safe space to examine your doubts will help you be the best leader you can be.
It’s OK to be a bit “marmite”
Marmite is a great example of a brand that doesn’t lose any sleep over the fact that not everyone likes their product. In fact, marmite has found its way into our daily language as a way to describe things that are divisive.
The course creation process was a bit like that too. During the research phase I spoke to people with totally opposing views. Some loved the concept and could easily see the benefits. Others didn’t. Some took the view that there are hundreds of courses available. Others were perfectly happy with their online hosting skills so couldn’t see the point of the course. At first it was hard hearing that not everyone shared my vision and enthusiasm.
That’s a lot like leadership. As the leader you need to get on with everyone but you certainly can’t be everyone’s mate and you have to be comfortable with people who don’t agree with your point of view. Sometimes the haters will be right, sometimes you will need to shake off their comments.
What’s important is creating strategies that allow you to explore the natural discomfort you feel and formulate methods to be OK about being a bit marmite!
Play to your strengths
Nobody knows everything about everything and this was certainly true when I began planning my course. I knew the tech was out there to deliver online learning but I didn’t know which ones were any good. Likewise, I knew about my subject matter but didn’t necessarily know the best way to present it. I can record video on my smartphone but I didn’t know how to create high quality video content that would be worthy of people’s investment in my course.
Instead I pulled together a crack team of experts who could help me to deliver my vision. What’s more, we had a great time working together!
When it comes to leadership, it’s the same principle. Just because you are at the helm it doesn’t mean you can’t draw on the strengths of others in order to be a brilliant leader. Can you imagine an organisation that didn’t use qualified HR or finance professionals?
The most effective teams are those built on the principle of everyone playing to their strengths.
Swans are only serene on the surface
The truth is, like many things in life, there is much more to leading a team than meets the eye. Leaders who inspire you by their ability to make it look effortless are, in actual fact, working extremely hard. Effortless leaders are masters at creating teams, support mechanisms and personal strategies that enable them to be incredibly effective at their job.
Helping you to create your own support system
One of the ways I work with clients is to give senior leaders safe spaces in which to explore skills or knowledge gaps, vulnerabilities around their own leadership style and to examine how to be resilient in the face of opposition or self-doubt.
If you’d like to find out more about working with me, why not book a free consultation via the button below.