There’s been a reoccurring theme on my Imposter Syndrome workshops, Women in Leadership Programmes and Coaching sessions. High performing women who are finding their feet in their roles yet feel they need to be more in order to ‘be good enough’ or fully capable of the role.
They’ll say to me I need to know more about x, or I’m not sure I have enough experience in y, I should be doing more of z. I haven’t got a tech or finance back ground and now I’m leading those types I feel out of my depth and I worry I’m not up to the job if I don’t know this stuff. Should I retrain?
It might have been something you’ve said to yourself, especially when new in role. Here’s my response.
Leadership is not about knowing it all or doing it all it’s about the team you surround yourself with to complement your skill set, delegating and tapping into the skills and expertise of others.
Look at Jacinda Ardern, a fine local example of great leadership currently! When she came to power many cited her lack of business and finance background as an area for concern. I don’t think she had much of a health background either! Look at how the world are discussing her leadership example now and the team she’s fronted this global pandemic with. The expertise she’s tapped into through the likes of Grant Robinson and Ashley Bloomfield who front the media when it’s their skill set required.
Jacinda also talks a lot about the team of 5 million. Leading from the front but empowering everyone to be part of the solution and bringing us all along on that journey. When we involve others and empower them to be part of the solution we find they’re doing the work alongside the leader not just ‘for the leader’ as a more instructive/command model would promote. It promotes an environment of ‘we’re all in this together let’s support each other’.
Leaders like our own PM embody this, she also talks about kindness, calm and trust more often than we’re used to hearing from leaders. Again this is something that comes up a lot on my programmes and coaching sessions – emotional intelligence and how we leverage this skill in our leadership roles.
Often we worry, as women that these skills may make us seem weak or too soft. Yet leadership examples like Jacinda Ardern are showing the strength in EQ and kindness. When we have trust we build great relationships and when we do that we are able to influence people, ask tough questions and they are more likely to chose to follow us, go the extra mile, give their skills and experience to the greater cause.
As a leader I’ll ask your opinion, I’ll defer to you when you know more than me and I’ll trust your advice, that’s why you’re in my team because health/finance etc is not my strength – we can’t be good at everything and are not supposed to know all the answers.
Your job as a leader isn’t to know everything or be able to do everything but to surround yourself with those who can and lead together. When we leverage our collective skills we all succeed.
For more check out my Women in Leadership programmes and coaching sessions.