My corporate journey: three non-corporate lessons for life
When I finally signed up for the MDE program*, it was my 3rd attempt. On the first try, I was not fully aware of how prepared, determined and fast I needed to be at sign up to succeed, and I failed to land a spot. The second time around, with a heavy heart, I have decided not to take part in the end. I was very new in my role, and I proceeded to learn from a different, less intense curriculum instead. The third time was the charm. Little did I know how much more will this developmental program teach me - both about the process I already went through in these three steps and how a lot of patience and perseverance win over high pace and perfection every time.
Taking up new training, especially one that focused on leadership skills, I inevitably had a specific – fixed – idea in mind. You know, defined by all the leadership and managerial buzzwords that keep popping up - productivity, delegation, leadership styles, managing difficult conversations... Sure, they are still “a thing,” and it would be wrong to pretend they have no place in this conversation. However, the program has forced me to open my mind way beyond that in the true spirit of the growth mindset. As I’m reflecting on the journey and looking for patterns in what I’ve learned, I realize my initial expectations couldn’t have been further from accurate.
My three corporate learnings for non-corporate life
As I mentioned earlier: yes, leadership is about productivity, performance, managing difficult situations, and other challenges a lot. And having said that, I am not dismissing any of those topics and themes or saying there is no room for me to learn or grow. But nevertheless, my attention has been on a couple of very different qualities and virtues throughout the last six months. So in the following lines, I will share three of them, which I believe are not only the key to becoming a leader but equally important in any other area of life.
Courage. Courage to take up new challenges that are maybe more than just slightly outside of my comfort zone. I always perceived progress as a result of solid skill and its application, building on what is stable and secure. However, the longer I walk this journey, the more I am convinced that progress is much more closely tied to something else. Like being daring and leaning into what I don’t know (yet), rather than counting on what I am confident about and what feels safe and familiar.
Authenticity. There is an African proverb you may have already heard before: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Nobody really questions whether that is a reasonable claim to make – and I don’t doubt it either. But how do I bring people on this journey with me, and how do I know who to bring?! For me, the only answer to this question is authenticity. Authenticity requires us to be vulnerable and allow others a little closer – and through that, it definitely has the power to take us far. You may argue that authenticity is great, but a workplace needs to respect certain boundaries, and if that is the case – you are not wrong but hear me out. Authenticity is not about pushing yourself to be personal beyond what is comfortable or appropriate. If it still seems scary, think of it this way: you can be authentic in many ways. For example, in communication – like when you’re asking genuine, curious questions, even if it feels vulnerable to seem like you are the only one not having all the answers yet. Your authenticity can shine through in openly sharing your goals and intentions – like when you are kicking off a new project and are transparent with everyone about what the true objectives are. In my opinion, authenticity is about treating people with respect. Regardless of how great you become in portraying a certain curated “self” or your definition of “being professional,” people will just know. The simple truth is that all the other people you meet are first and foremost people - just like you! They will both understand and appreciate you being a real person too. You wouldn’t believe how much easier life gets when we connect over who we are, not divide over who we aren’t.
Patience. I think we often connect being patient straight to the virtue of being patient with others – and rarely focus on being patient with ourselves. For me, this was the biggest learning of all. To be patient with my own progress and growth. To be comfortable with slowing the pace down when I needed to recharge and protect my energy. To be kind to me in the process of learning and growth. Sometimes, when we see our definition of success in someone else, we tend to perceive it as if it comes easy to them, as effortless. Still, in reality, the journey they followed to get there rarely is that way. Growth is not glamorous, even if the results might look like it is – but it is definitely worth it.
There are many crossroads in life. You might be tiptoeing around new, unfamiliar territory, or maybe you have yet to decide whether to take up a new challenge or not. Whatever your situation is, let me part with you with one of my favorite quotes:
“If it scares you a little and excites you a lot, it is probably a good thing to try.”
So be courageous, stay authentic, and have patience with yourself – good things are waiting for you, maybe right outside your comfort zone.
*a developmental program at the company I work for, focused on leadership skills; MDE = Manager Development Experience
