My personal wonder woman

Q: Who are you following? What does it mean for you to be enrolled in that journey? What commitments are you making and what compromises do you refuse to make?

At this moment, it’s very hard to say who I am following. Digital disruption is transforming the way we [my employer] do business – from business development and marketing to sales and customer experiences.  In the midst of this change, I’m excited to see new leaders rise to the challenge.

So, I’m going to reflect on a past leader: my marketing director, Carole. From my first interview, I was challenged with and inspired by the daunting task to change perceptions of Louisiana. We were a marketing team of four and believed we could conquer the world – well, the economic development world.

Carole inspired tenacity, grit and savvy. I never doubted her vision. I never considered compromising on our brand. As our personal Wonder Woman, we couldn’t lose.

Q: What does it mean for someone to be enrolled in following you? Are they getting the same satisfaction as you are? Are they making the same commitment? What are they seeking?

Seth Godin defines enrollment as “the people who work for you are doing it because they share the dream.”

Being enrolled in my journey, it would require the same belief in creativity and personal excellence; respect and open thinking; and walking the walk together. That doesn’t mean perfect – it means always giving 100% to create the best, damn content for our clients.

What are they seeking? Impact – personal, professional.

Q: Think about the C people in your organization – and then figure out what about their role makes them act like C people. Are there round holes for these round people?

C people act like C people because they report to managers not leaders. They aren’t being inspired, they aren’t being challenged – they are following the status quo. And no one is calling them or their management out because it’s easier to maintain the same-old-same than push for change.

Leadership is difficult. It starts with a vision of something greater (or better) than where we are today; then, leaders sell that vision to inspire action in others. Without leadership, you’re just treading water.

 

This post is part of  Seth Godin’s Leadership is not Management course on Udemy. Warning: posts are designed to be fast, not perfect.