How Leadership Feels: An Emerging Leader's Take on Leadership and Culture

My college-age son, Preston, is a student of leadership. In various settings he has blossomed thanks to leaders who have tapped into his potential by challenging, teaching and connecting his passions to a larger purpose. These past few weeks in the Harless household have been filled with discussions on how cultures, which leaders shape - in societies, an organization, or even a week-long virtual leadership program with 100 students who have never met - create an environment where you stand up and share your voice or hide in the corner and stay silent. I share Preston’s insights with you in this month’s Collective Confidence blog, inviting you to examine how, in your sphere of influence, leadership shapes culture and culture drives results.

While, at 20 years old, my “professional experience” is limited, I have witnessed the impact of strong, inspired leadership on a team and its individual members. I have played sports since the age of four and have developed relationships with many coaches, none of whom have been more impactful or memorable than Scott X. Nady, my high school varsity football coach. An imposing figure who would walk barefoot across our turf field under the heat of the August sun, Coach Nady commanded respect. He had an ability to make each player, regardless of position, seniority, or amount of playing time feel that their contributions to the team were significant. Each member mattered. What came from this was a willingness to grind harder than you thought possible because you didn’t want to let Coach Nady and the rest of your team down.

Coach Nady pictured with members of the 2016 Parish Episcopal football team.

The most memorable example of Coach Nady’s leadership came during training camp the first week of August. On the second to last day, he handed us a sheet of paper with Theodore Roosevelt's "The Man in the Arena" speech. Each player was tasked with memorizing the speech and then reciting it alone to a member of the coaching staff the next day. What came from this was an inspiring display of brotherhood and accountability. We all took individual responsibility for learning the speech ourselves and demonstrated a commitment to each other by helping those who were struggling. It was us, and only us in that arena. On Friday nights, no one else mattered but our teammates. Coach Nady knew how to unite people, help them see their significance, and pursue success in the name of something bigger than themselves. 

Four weeks ago, I took part in the inaugural Emerging Leaders Program hosted by Seth Godin’s Akimbo Workshops. This one-week program, for 100 college students from across the globe, focused on “shipping work quickly,” developing and emphasizing our “real skills,” and building a supportive community of changemakers. Each morning, Akimbo facilitators would kick off the day, but the real work happened in four-person breakouts. In those breakouts, we talked about the impact we wanted to have on the world, shared our stories, and tackled unconventional group projects that tested our resolve. The guidelines for the group projects, which were due each midnight, were vague and required us to think without constraints. As someone who likes structure and having rules to follow, it was equally refreshing and terrifying to complete tasks without clear, specific expectations. My projects ranged from conceiving of and creating a retail app, to designing a future university where learning, not grades, was the priority, to even writing, speaking in, and filming a mock TED Talk.

Emerging Leaders team picture.

The culture we, the cohort, established gave me the energy to approach these projects with confidence. It all started with a discussion on being a “linchpin.” Seth Godin describes a linchpin as someone who is indispensable; who cannot be replaced because their presence is unique and valuable. It was understood that every member of our cohort was a linchpin, someone who led when it was their time to lead and followed when it was their time to support. Free from the threat of competition or embarrassment, we generously shared our unique voices to create something remarkable.

From Preston’s experiences, we see two very different leadership approaches and intentionally designed cultures, one that rewarded accountability and camaraderie and another that demanded self leadership and ownership of your voice. Both inspired great performance and brought out more than he thought he had to give. Isn’t that what all leaders want? For their teammates to be fully engaged, all in, performing at their peak?

There is no “ideal” culture, but for every family, team, organization, society, there is one that reflects fully the values, behaviors and outcomes that are prioritized. What kind of leadership culture are you creating around you? How do you know? If you need help diagnosing and refining your leadership culture, contact Collective Confidence.