P2P

23 I L T A N E T . O R G so much time and resources for this project, so to finish in a timely manner, I need you all to decide what our top three priorities are," I asserted. "What is priority number one?" I heard a few responses and quickly moved everyone to agreement on one. "OK, and priority number two?" Again, a few responses, but we found resolution even faster. For priority number three, I didn't even need to prompt. After the meeting, my department's senior VP found me at my desk and asked me to come back to the conference room. Thinking I was going to be reprimanded for insubordination, I returned to find the VP, our chief of staff, and general counsel sitting around the table. "Oh, I'm definitely going to be fired," I thought. Instead, they remarked on my leadership skills, thanked me for taking charge, and asked that I do it more often! I nearly fell out of my chair at the time, but I took the message to heart: Leadership is essential to good decision making and appreciated by other effective leaders, so there's no reason to hold back. What qualities make a good leader? MEGHANN: Understanding the role [that] you need to play in different situations is an important quality. Depending on the situation, I need to be a manager, a counselor, or a leader. When acting as a manager, understand that your role needs to be more direct and pointed. However, if you try to manage every situation without letting your team handle things, that's not good for the team or their professional growth. Sometimes you need to act as a trusted ear and advise without telling your team what to do. And finally, there are times when you need to set a larger strategy for your team. Each role requires slightly different qualities, but the one thing you must always do is listen and act with empathy. Good communication is also key, and this is especially true in today's remote working world. I've managed a team in all four time zones, which can sometimes make scheduling time challenging. What worked for us was to have a standing weekly meeting where every member of the team, no matter their role, took a turn running the meeting. We had standing agenda items and then wrapped it up with a short presentation on whatever the leader wanted to talk about. While the topic was sometimes work-related, we also had many fun non-work-related topics, such as history lessons, self-care tips, and ice-breaker games. It helps the entire team to feel engaged and to have ownership as a team member. Finally, don't be afraid to bring up the more difficult topics the moment they arise. If your organization has a yearly review process, if you've waited until that moment to bring up performance issues, then you've waited too long. Having conversations when the issue comes up where it can be quickly resolved is the best strategy. JACLYN: A good leader is a good human, first and foremost. This means being vulnerable, understanding, and supportive. Employees perform at their best when they feel leaders genuinely care about them as people and champion their career aspirations. Importantly, good leaders coach and teach more than they direct, helping their teams grow their skillsets and own their tasks. This not only enables them to achieve their individual goals; it helps them understand how their unique contributions move team goals forward. Good leaders also protect and advocate for their team. Those who I've most enjoyed working with were truly the first line of defense, having the difficult conversations and advocating for critical resources so the team could do their best work unhindered. I still have much to learn when it comes to applying these principles, but I have great role models who are generous with their guidance and support.

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