- Intellego Newsletter
- Posts
- Leadership Journey
The workplace of the future is empathetic, high-paying, high trust, and employee first.
🎼 📖 Read Intellego #015 by listening to:
My Path
Ascending from first-born parents and being a first-born daughter myself, I often heard this phrase from the elders: ‘Be the example for your sisters’. As far as I can remember, I acted as a lighthouse, a trail-blazer, a leader in my feminine lineage.
I have always been diligent. I attended the best schools my family could afford, got the best marks, was one of the best students in my class and even became a class representative in the 7th and 8th grades. Perhaps I took the elders’ advice too seriously.
In sports was no different. Together with my teammates, we won several volleyball tournaments. We’ve been regional champions for five years in a row in our category. I was so proud of our achievements, plus the benefits of being around the coolest kids in school.
Leading by example came naturally to me. Since young age, I was motivated to develop abilities and put them into test. Many times, I succeeded. Many times, I failed. And it’s okay. Learning is a great part of the journey.
Regardless of the experiences - the bitter taste of defeats or sweet taste of victories - my competitive spirit always wanted more. Learn and be more.
In my academic and professional life, I followed the same trend. I got admitted to university and in a short time, the best marks poured in. For months, I’ve tutored some classmates until they passed Calculus I, II, III exams. In return, they also helped me with other subjects.
In November 2021, I was already a senior analyst. I was doing well. In fact, I had no time to lose, as I was involved in multiple assignments.
One afternoon, something intrigued me. My line manager called me in. What could it be? Luckily, we’re both in the office that day. We had a brief conversation on my plans to apply to a leadership role.
The fact surprised me. Even though I have been a top performer and I knew most of my colleagues liked to work with me, I hesitated. I asked a couple of days to reflect on the opportunity.
Meanwhile, I thought to myself "With great power comes great responsibilities, will be worth it? Am I ready to face the challenges to come?’ The answer is simple. Nobody is ready.
"A great man doesn't seek to lead. He’s called to it, and he answers."
Lesson #1 - Have a Mission
Do you want to understand business? Have a clear mission and understand people first.
You might be curious, right? Yes, I accepted the challenge. I applied, went through rounds of interview and became a team leader. I can tell you one thing: the role is less glamorous than it seems. And I warn you, it will reveal the best and the worst in you.
We only reach the middle path once we’ve experienced and understood both extremes. Leading and being led.
Leadership is a privilege and an opportunity. A title reserved for few, the courageous ones. However, your influence as a leader is tremendous - for good and evil. It reverberates in groups, organizations impacting people’s career and lives.
Here is my humble view. Effective leadership is a combination of mission and people. The first explains why you exist as a leader. With a clear mission, you reach goals, set the example, and guide teammates to achieve success.
The second sets the tone, the direction, how your leadership style will evolve. As people grow, it’s your responsibility as a leader to foster a positive and supportive environment where everyone can flourish, thrive.
When evaluating candidates for leadership roles, here are four considerations to keep in mind:
1- Does the candidate have the skills of a top contributor or an effective leader?
While we often assess contributors based on their skills, likability, and drive, effective leadership requires a broader range of character traits, such as integrity, vision, communication, and agility.
2- Can you trust this candidate’s individual performance measures?
Many organizations assess performance primarily gauged by a single subjective rating provided by a direct manager or based on few feedback, which may be biased.
3- Are you focusing on the candidate’s future potential or past achievements?
The key to selecting exceptional leaders lies in predicting their future capabilities, rather than rewarding past performance. That’s why it’s crucial to recognize and promote high-potential people, not just top performers.
4- Is the candidate capable of doing what needs to be done?
The answer will determine if a person can be a manager or not.
Vision, strategy, results. As an eagle, you should never lose sight of these pillars. Leadership is not a gift as many romanticize. It’s a blend of consistency and method. It’s a learnable skill.
In the early stages of your leadership path, choose a mentor or seek advice from experienced leaders. That's a huge advantage. You won’t regret it.
“If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader, sell ice cream.”
Lesson #2 - Know Your People
The employee-last, profits-first mindset is outdated. People are your best assets.
Colleagues are not family members. A company is not a family. People mix these concepts. Make this clear to yourself and your team from the beginning.
Know your people’s style. Teach and train them to be a professional sports team, not a family. Inspire and motivate them to be the best players possible.
There is no ideal leadership profile or a single strategy to follow. Continuous growth and constant evaluation are required.
Build your method of action and know how to communicate it to your people. Sometimes, you may succeed. Sometimes, you may fail. Accept both with grace.
There is no perfect leader. There is no perfect team. What exists is alignment and optimal collaboration between players - an appropriate leadership profile and a given work environment.
You don’t need to be the best asset on the team. You need to be the best for the team. Leaders are coaches, opportunity levers, good assets scouts, and change catalyst.
As a leader, you have a great opportunity in your hands to support people’s journeys. Your actions and decisions can significantly impact the careers and lives of those around you.
Part of being a leader is managing your energy and time well so you can allocate them to more important tasks and projects. With this, a leader should be smart in delegating work and know your people’s capabilities.
Give and take. Being a leader requires courage to communicate difficult things. Achieving success requires effort, and it’s not within the responsibility of the leader to guarantee comfort every time. Be the bridge. Good leadership involves determination amidst the difficulties.
Leadership is not pure talent. It’s a method repeated and adjusted day and night. It’s like body building. There is no secret formula. Leadership is doing the right thing with the information available.
Do you know what to do? So do it! If you don’t know, ask for help. Don’t waste time and resources.
Leadership is 100% skin in the game. It’s about accountability. And remember, a person who feels appreciated will always do more than expected.
It’s important for leaders to create a work culture where collaborators feel heard, respected, supported, and motivated to stay with the company for the long term.
People don’t leave organizations; they leave because of poor leadership.
Research shows that employees are more likely to leave their jobs because of conflicts with their colleagues or managers rather than the company itself.
When people find their work environment toxic or not supportive, they feel undervalued and not appreciated, leading to resignations and high turnover rates in organizations.
To change this scenario, take care of your people and people will take care of business. Simple as that. The rest you already know…
“People quit people, not companies.”
Talk to you next week.
Light and peace,
—FMV
🧠 My Mental Download:
📕 (1) What I'm reading:
🎧 (2) What I'm listening to:
📺 (3) What I'm watching:
🤿 Keep diving and exploring:
💡 Intellego is the process of gaining insights to better understand the world.
✍️ Letter is written by Fabíola Maia-Veres every Tuesday at 7pm.
🐝 Newsletter is configured and sent by BeeHiiv.
💬 📝 How did it go?
Any comments, critics, or suggestions? Reply to this email or reach out on Instagram or LinkedIn. Your feedback fuels my writing.