Leadership growth you can’t put on a to-do list

Reader,

Being around other leaders has an elevating effect. It challenges, inspires, and changes minds.

I’ve had far more opportunities like this than one could hope or expect. Since I was 27, I’ve been surrounded literally by hundreds, maybe thousands, of Founders, CEOs, and senior leaders operating at the highest levels.

Someone recently asked, “How is that even possible?”

For most of my career, I’ve worked in business organizations and associations with statewide and eventually global reach. My roles put me in close proximity to remarkable leaders.

I used to think, “I really don’t know anything—except how to bring people together.”

But while doing that, I was also noticing. Observing. Studying. Absorbing. Asking questions. Learning.

What you notice is what you learn.

Early in my career, I was hired to launch an unorthodox membership campaign that simply had to succeed. Since no one wanted their reputation tied to a high-profile initiative that might fail, it came with risk.

My boss and I scheduled one-on-one meetings with every board member who’d give us the time. Forty in total, each a CEO or senior executive of a major company.

At first, their comments seemed disconnected—concerns, priorities, and questions that didn’t align. But soon, I began to notice patterns and themes. Clues that helped us refine the next pitch, and the next.

After more than 40 meetings in two weeks, something clicked.

Walking a mile in their shoes.

At 29, in the first weeks of my second major role, I’d spent over 40 hours learning how CEOs think. Those conversations changed everything. They gave me insight into how leaders see the world. Understanding their perspectives made me a better leader myself.

Unfortunately, few rising leaders get that kind of exposure. Instead, the leaders above them spend most of their time talking about what needs to be done and by when.

And the real conversations—the ones that build perspective—get postponed until there’s “more time.”
A day that never comes.

What happens in environments where new and rising leaders:
Notice that all that matters are tasks.
Observe that their boss is always rushed.
Study to-do lists.
Absorb stress.
Learn that there’s simply no time to look up.

Who, then, is helping them shift their perspective? Where do they learn to lead?

Leadership at every level of an organization doesn't happen by accident.

Perspective is what develops leaders.

Right now, many Millennial and Gen Z leaders are eager to grow. They’re hungry to learn and highly teachable. They're seeking out places where growth is possible, and they know it's not found in task lists.

This January marks 25 years since I first started noticing, observing, and studying an important question: What turns a leader into a great leader?

The answer is perspective.

Every new and rising leader needs consistent opportunities to elevate and expand what they see and how they think. To pause long enough to connect what they do with why it matters. To notice things they've never noticed before.

If you want to help your team grow, it’s so important that you take the time to:

Listen to what matters to them—so you benefit from what they see in their role.
Understand where their perspective differs from yours—so you know how far apart your thinking is.
Give purpose to priorities—so they understand why the work matters, not just what and when.
Think out loud—so they can follow your reasoning and see how you get to your strategy.

After any situation—a client meeting, project plan, staff meeting, or follow-up call—consider the long-term impact of taking just ten minutes each time to debrief in this way.

My bet is you’ll be amazed at how quickly awareness grows when you make room for perspective-shifting conversations.

And above all—s l o w d o w n!

There is time to help people learn and grow.
It’s worth it, because perspective doesn’t grow on its own.