“Sometimes it’s not about knowing what they’re doing. It’s knowing how they’re doing.”
—Deshauna Barber
@deshaunabarber
The above quote refers to talking to your team, no matter the size. If you want to build trust, don’t make them feel watched. Make them feel trusted and cared about. When you show you care and support your team, they’ll feel loyal and more invested in their work. Where am I going with this?
Recently, I had the privilege of attending the Leadercast Women event hosted by the Duluth Chamber. That quote came from Deshauna Barber, a Miss USA winner, a US Army Reserves commander, and all-around amazing person. She was just 1 of 9 awesome ladies to speak during the telecast event. Although the actual Leadercast took place a couple months ago, the day still sparked with the energy of a live event. Inspiration reigned. The entire event rallied around one word: courage. What does it mean to be courageous? How can you find courage? How does courage make you a better leader?
From Kate Delaney, an Emmy-winning journalist, to Priya Parker, an expert in conflict resolution, every speaker answered these questions in a big way. Here are a few of our biggest takeaways.
1. Make friends with fear.
When you embrace the unknown, you take away the biggest hurdle holding you back. Go for it! You’ll lead more confidently when you don’t let your fears distract you.
2. Be a constructive rebel.
Be a rebel with a cause. Don’t follow what everyone else is doing if it doesn’t serve you. Shake things up, but do it with purpose.
3. Courage isn’t always saying yes to something. Sometimes, it’s saying no.
Just because everyone is following a certain path, doesn’t mean it’s right for you. The most successful leaders said no to good opportunities and found great ones.
4. Unhealthy peace can be as destructive as unhealthy conflict.
Don’t avoid conflict just because it’s uncomfortable. Face the issues around you and find ways to fix them. A great leader isn’t afraid to confront the problems holding their team back.
5. One small act of kindness can leave a huge impact.
You can lead with small acts. You never know who you’ll inspire and whose life you’ll change with a little bit of kindness.
I could go on and on, but I’ll keep this list to 5 and not overwhelm you. If you’re looking for more great quotes, enjoy this short recap.
To hear more and to find out more about Leadercast Women, visit their website.
To put it mildly, the day left this writer deeply inspired and ready to put these lessons to use.
