5 Leadership Epiphanies From Week 1 - Subtle Differences Make a Huge Impact

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Building leadership skills can be painful as you’re stretched and pulled in all directions, but it helps when you’re placed in an environment where you have no other option but to level-up. That’s what I was fortunate enough to experience.

I’ve started Georgia Tech’s Executive MBA program, and they kicked off the hybrid program by having everyone on campus all day every day for a week.

It was about what you’d expect—an overwhelming mix of orientation, team building, classes, and figuring out Atlanta. But what I didn’t expect is how hard these leadership lessons would hit me.

1. Rip the band-aid.

I’m afraid in situations like this, where everything’s new and you’re constantly being scrutinized by someone. The more I think about it, the worse it gets.

But, quick action gets me unstuck. It’s also great for building momentum going into the next uncomfortable task, and for showing the group “it’s okay.”

For instance, on our 2nd day together, we all had to give fairly impromptu speeches in front of our classmates. And on camera. And then we were going to watch the recordings and critique each other.

What a thrill.

I did not want to do this. I knew I did not want to do this. So when our coach asked “Alright, who wants to start?” I popped up and said “I’ll do it.”

It went okay. What’s important is that it told my brain that I could just do something uncomfortable without having to think about it. So, “rip the band-aid” became my mental refrain for the week, and helped immensely.

The same applies to difficult conversations, going after your dream job, pivoting your strategy, starting on that big ugly project, and even some of the other lessons below. The sooner you do what you know you need to do, the better everything goes.

2. Balance contributions with silence.

Years ago at a conference I realized I was being timid. I had questions, there were people in front of me whose jobs were to provide answers, but I wouldn’t speak up.

I was afraid. Of saying the wrong thing, or interrupting someone, or sounding ignorant and stupid, and so I missed opportunities I’ll never get back.

Nowadays, I know to ask the questions, put myself in opportunistic positions, and speak up. I’m paying to be here to learn and grow, I need to make the most of it.

But, I have to make sure that my speaking up doesn’t keep others quiet. That I don’t take away from their opportunities.

For instance, I could ask a professor questions for an entire 4-hour class. Asking questions is my favorite! But that would keep other students from getting what they need, learning from the professor and others in the class, and asking their own questions. So I limit myself to 1, maybe 2 thoughtful questions per speaker, then soak up as much as I can in silence.

The same applies to to one-on-one conversations where I get too excited and interrupt people—gotta watch that.

3. Fun is a superpower.

About a year ago, I was listening to the Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders podcast, and the guest said they looked to invest in founders who, among other things, were having fun, because “fun is a competitive advantage.”

For me, the fun part of work is the project—figuring out a challenge, doing something well, and seeing the results. Not that I don’t like to laugh and celebrate, but it’s not usually my focus.

I’ve been wrestling with this idea of “fun work” for the last year. Then, in our first Organizational Behavior class, the professor said studies show that managers who create a fun environment for their teams see higher performance and improved job satisfaction.

That’s when I had the “Ah-ha!” moment.

It’s not about me having fun. It’s about enabling others to have fun—to try new things, to crack jokes (respectfully), to celebrate victories, and to generally enjoy both the “work” and “non-work” parts of the job.

That’s still going to be difficult for me, but now I at least know what to work on.

4. Be at the bottom.

When you think “leader,” what comes to mind? Probably someone at the top—at the top of their organization, or their field, or maybe at the top of the event’s speaker list.

But great leaders also spend a lot of time at the bottom.

It’s like the English Football (soccer) League. You start at the bottom, then you work your way up to win your league, then you get promoted to the league above yours. You start at the bottom of that league, and repeat the process, hopefully working your way up to the top of the top league.

Great leaders find opportunities to be at the bottom of their group, to be surrounded by people and organizations that are far stronger, to be in positions where they feel like they don’t belong. That’s how they learn and grow.

You can’t climb to the top without spending some time at the bottom.

5. It’s not about you (or me).

One of our team activities was a zipline. We had to climb a rope ladder up a tower to a platform, navigate a flimsy metal ladder from there onto a higher platform, and then jump off.

I do not like these things.

Even as an Eagle Scout, I once had a panic attack climbing up a ropes course. But it’s not about me as an individual doing uncomfortable things, and I had that epiphany at the end of the day. Here’s what happened.

One member of our team was the last to go. They were visibly afraid, and it seemed they couldn’t force themselves to take the leap.

Then, everyone on the ground—about 40 people—started clapping and cheering. “You got this!” “You can do it!” “We believe in you!”

A moment later, they jumped. The crowd erupted! Everyone was clapping and shouting and even jumping and dancing!

And I realized this is what it’s all about. Not doing uncomfortable things, but bringing a group of strangers together in a way that makes them want to cheer for each other.

That’s what our job as leaders is, too.

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