I opened my leadership workshop this week with a question I often ask and one that usually stirs some deep thinking in the participants’ minds:
Think of a leader you have met along the way who has helped you get to where you are today. What made them so impactful for you?
I watched the faces of everyone in the program and listened as the noise in the room came to a stand still. Each person started to process the question as I noticed some jotting down notes while others seemed to hold their thoughts inside of their minds. The beauty of this question is that there is no right or wrong answer. No good or bad response. It empowers each attendee to not only identify an important person in their life but also what they learned from them.
Taking stock in whom we have met and what lessons we have learned from them is a helpful way to honor where we are today and where we are headed.
The important people we have met along the way help shape our leadership today. Share on X
What Have You Learned From The People You Have Met Along The Way?
Make A List Of The 3 Most Important People In Your Life
To begin this process simply write out the names of people who have crossed your path in both your personal and professional life and who have significance to you. No order no judging. Just a short list of names- family members, friends, co-workers, bosses, people we volunteer with. These important people may or may not be with us now.
Write Short Anecdotes About Each
After you have your list together, it is time to just reflect on your interactions with them. These narratives will help you think more deeply how they impacted your leadership journey. When creating these anecdotes:
- Be as specific as possible.
- Keep the stories simple and short.
- Imagine being with them in the moment.
- Try to have a smile on your face as it will bring you to a good place.
Identify The Leadership Lessons Learned From Your Connections
Now comes the “connect-the-dots” part of this process. Ask yourself what you learned and how you grew as a leader from having this person in your life. Go a step further and recognize the qualities and behaviors that each of these people possessed. How did those characteristics impress and change you? The lessons may have been about how to be more effective in your job responsibilities or how to lead with integrity and trust. All the things you learned had an impact on who you are today.
Leaders grow from the words and stories shared by people they meet along the way. Share on XDecide How To Keep The Words and Stories Alive
Now that we know the lessons we have learned from the important individuals in our lives, it is essential to keep them alive and part of our leadership. What are some ways to keep the stories alive?
- Use the words and stories as a compass to guide you especially during challenging times.
- Keep the lessons in a special place easy to access in case you need reinforcing.
- Share the anecdotes and teachings with your team members and ask them about the important people they met along the way.
- Become a leader who epitomizes those important people as they and their advice will never let you down.
What have you learned from the people you have met along the way?
Dear Terri,
The title of your post caught me right away. Suddenly my mind focused on several people who were there for me as I imagined starting my own business. Then I thought of my customers from whom I learned much.
Lastly, I thought of something I’ve said over and over to others who were looking for a better life: “Learn as much as you can, anywhere you can, regardless of whether you think you will use it.”
And then here was your post saying, it’s time to reflect on it.
Great way to start the new week. Kudos.
Kate
I love your attitude towards learning anywhere, even in the least expected places. Like you, my customers have taught me so much about their businesses and the cultures they have built. I also have learned so much from your leadership as you are so generous in what you share with all of us.
Thanks Kate for your continued support!
What a fantastic exercise. Has me thinking about who my three people are. I know that some of my weaknesses are the greatest strengths of people who are closest to me. Instead of defaulting to my go-to behaviors, this exercise can help me pause and make a stronger choice.
Alli
I think anytime we stop and step back to reflect how we arrived at where we are today we will always have the people we met along the way in our minds that made the greatest impact on us. Hopefully we will keep adding to that list of individuals who have taught us lessons and empowered us to keep growing.
Thanks Alli for being one of those people I have met along the way who has had a meaningful impact on my life!
Oh wow! I just love this exercise! I find myself thinking about the great leaders who have influenced me so often in my work to help grow leadership in others. I do think those stories can be remarkable guides for ourselves and for others as we share them.
I imagine this exercise really has a powerful transformative impact as people share their stories and learnings.
The exercise definitely helps leaders key into the qualities of leadership they want to pursue as well as those attitudes they want to stay away from. It also creates self-awareness of the most important parts of leadership for each of the participants.
Thanks so much Karin for adding you insightful thoughts!