Believe in yourself, and find ways to express yourself, and find the discipline to keep growing. - Michael Feinstein
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Even after many years of leadership I am still getting used to a different working style.
While in my earlier years my own efforts and results would count and shape my career, it is different now. And it is a process to let go and accept that it is not just about my own efforts anymore.
It has been a learning process to understand that not only my thoughts matter, but even more how I express them. It is not just about the results.
As a leader, I need to be vocal about my thoughts.
One big part of my daily work has become to make sure that my team and the entire site know my expectations, my vision, and my HR strategy.
So I use time to exchange with others to listen to their thoughts, to evaluate if their direction is in alignment with mine, and to explain what is important from my perspective.
Moreover, by repeatedly listening to what they are saying, I can check whether we are heading into the same direction. And interfere, if necessary.
While this is crucial for setting up for success and for influencing our culture, it sometimes still feels strange. It is a different working style, filled with steering and alignment. It won’t be just me doing the „actual work“, but someone else or an entire team.
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