Your Success is Their Success
The smell of the thick leather chair was initially overwhelming. As soon as you laid back into its elite comfort it cocooned you in its warmth. The oversized oak desk fit the oversized chair but not the regular sized person sitting in it. In the big chair, behind the big desk, in the big echoing room, on the top floor, the person finally ‘made it’. But the person didn’t expect it to be so cold and empty.
This is the imagery we commonly have when we think of the top executives in the corporate world who have finally made it to the top of the ladder. The problem with this imagery is that it is all wrong. This idea of the lone leader at the top is Hollywood mythology. The truth is, nobody gets there alone, and nobody stays alone when there.
Dr. John Maxwell’s book “Leadership Gold” first chapter addresses this very issue. If you are rising in the leadership of an organization then your leadership skills must rise as well. And as John says, “taking people to the top is what good leaders do.” And while it does take personal achievement to get to the top, the cornerstone of a leader is their credibility. Dr. Maxwell continues, “a leader’s credibility begins with personal success. It ends with helping others achieve personal success.” This means that if you made it to the top, you didn’t do it alone. More importantly, it means that now that you have made it, your credibility is at risk if you don’t help others achieve their success.
I have had the privilege of being in positions throughout my career to be “in charge” of other people. I was placed there because of my rank and the belief by my boss that I was ready to lead. As all new people in a similar position, I had very little understanding of what really meant. And like new young leaders, I made more than my fair share of mistakes. The one thing I learned quickly was to advance my people’s success before my own. What I discovered was that I personally had more joy at work, and my team’s performance was ten times higher when I made them my priority. Not only that, it was revealed that I was being judged not by what I was doing in the work, but how I was taking care of those in my charge. But here is the biggest secret: you take care of your team, and they will take care of you.
And there I was, Germany, doing the impossible. Due to the nature of the job I cannot get into the details of my mission, but what was important was who I was doing it with. I initially had a small team of about eight people with very diverse backgrounds and skill sets. When I became their team leader it was during a very high operational tempo and everyone was working sixteen hour days. It became very clear that they needed someone to make sure they were taken care of. They had been pushing hard for months now and regular life things were being pushed to the side to get the mission done. I dedicated the next three months to getting to know each person and finding something specific I could do for them. Some needed extra time off, others needed to be awarded for their efforts, and a few wanted to move on to something else. I did what I could for each person. It wasn’t always perfect, but it was my best. By the time I left the team two years later, I received three medals for my efforts. While I did directly contribute to the mission, my biggest impact was on the individuals on the team. That is where I made my money.
Nobody does anything of significance alone. Humans are wired to be a tribe and work together to solve problems. This is what we do when we are at our best. So as you climb the latter of success, bring those who help get you there with you. Because it is not supposed to be “lonely at the top.”
Kenneth C. Barrios II | Owner/Lead Trainer | Keybravo Leadership Development LLC
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