Leadership Life Lessons by Cari Luetge, VP of Operations

I once was told by a highly regarded executive that I wear my heart on my sleeve – and it wasn’t a compliment. Back then, it nearly brought me to tears. Fast-forward to present day – if someone were to tell me that same thing, I would say, “Thank you so much!  I’ve worked so hard to be full of passion in everything I do.” And it’s that same passion that I infuse into how I show up as a leader – here are a few key learnings I’ve picked up along the way.   
 
Lesson No. 1: You must believe in yourself first before others will believe in you as their leader.
 
The old saying is “fake it ’til you make it” but what happens if you think you’re faking it, but you just haven’t given yourself permission to really make it? That’s what we call “imposter syndrome” and it comes with a fair amount of anxiety and self-doubt, often meaning you do not raise your hand to rise. In short, it keeps you right where you are. Believing in and humanizing yourself and how you lead helps others trust in you, relate to you, believe with you – and then, they will want to follow your lead.  
 
Lesson No. 2: It's not about you. 
 
Not everyone can be led the same way. Sensitive versus blunt. Talk versus email. So, guess what? To lead someone, you should start by asking them how they like to be led. Then, as you build the relationship, being genuinely open to hearing about other ways to get you to the same goal sets a tone that you don’t think your way is the right (or only) way. Similarly, simply explaining the “why” behind an ask can make all the difference in how the ask is perceived.
 
Lesson No. 3: Give and receive.  
 
Encouragement is to give others the courage to do something different. So, praise publicly and often – and when giving critical feedback, remember that your tone matters as much as what you say. Beyond the feedback you give your team, think about the feedback they can give you – a few simple questions are a great way to check in with your direct reports (hint: those quarterly conversations are a great time to discuss this):
 
- What am I doing well that works for you?
- What could I be doing better for you?
- Where do you want to grow and how can I support you in getting there?

One final thing to consider: Leadership is a partnership; not a dictatorship or a fan club. (Although, it could lend itself to the latter if you lead people correctly. Kidding. Kind of.)  

At RPM, we’re proud to have some of the industry’s top leaders, and we’re excited to share their Leader POV with you on their areas of expertise and on hot topics in business to help you learn, grow and gain a fresh perspective. Read more on our blog.