The long version -

I came into professional leadership like many of us do - I was good at my job, I was recognized by other leaders and my peers, I was aspirational and focused on development. And I thought that being a leader of a team meant having all the answers. After all, that’s what got me promoted — wasn’t it?

The aha moment came when I realized I was in the way. I was quite literally blocking a talented team member from their development, exposure, and opportunities to learn in service of my own ego, of my own reluctance to let go of prior identity and feeling important. So I told that person right then - I don’t want to lead you like this anymore. Making that change gave me the space and freedom to decide how I did want to lead, and to realizations that the playbook and examples we have been given is not what modern workforces need, want, or expect. Once I began to practice new skills and style I found both freedom and greater impact. And I realized I would never go back.

It’s time for a new leadership playbook, for ourselves and for our teams. I believe this playbook includes:

• Honesty - which looks like admitting what we don’t know.

• Integrity - which looks like clear expectations, doing what we say, and communicating clearly when, why, and how things change.

• Balance - which looks like boundaries, delegation, two-way expectations on what we do for each other.

Best part is: we don’t need to wait for someone to build it for us - it’s here for us, right now. You just have to start.