5 leadership lessons I learnt from my co-workers

In 2017, I got an opportunity to head Delivery for KNOLSKAPE, a top 20 gamification company. With great power(read opportunity) comes great responsibility. Any customer-facing role is intense as we work with a lot of constraints and unpredictability. I had my own learning curve of how to lead a customer-facing team. Well, I am “still arriving” and I am “still learning”.

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giant” — Sir Isaac Newton

While to learn is to experience, the best way to learn faster is to learn from someone else’s experience. This post is for the leaders who carried me on their shoulders so that I could see farther.

Here, I am presenting the best 5 things that I have picked up along the way.

1. You are only as good as your team

Build a team that can both complement your vision and supplements your gaps.

2. You communicate even when you are not communicating

As a leader, you are in the limelight and your words and actions are being judged all the time. You should be both an active listener, hearing the team out and at the same time challenging them to go beyond. Ensure the communication is bi-directional. GIVE and SEEK feedback at all times.

3. Focus on things that you can control. Don’t confuse output and outcome

Output really doesn’t matter if we don’t get the intended outcome

Steve jobs said “Customers don’t measure you on how hard you tried. They measure you on what you deliver”. I tried replacing customers with stakeholders and found this quote still relevant.

4. Create and foster a safe environment where it’s OK to fail

As a leader, one should create and foster an environment where it’s OK to fail without the fear of being judged. It gives great strength to get back up and try harder, knowing that there is someone to lift you when you fall.

5. Just post/do it

You are never ready for the ride. Like our CEO says we are “always arriving”…A co-worker shared this article from Seth Godin’s blog, there is never a good or bad time to try anything new.