I first had the all-conquering leader.
Then I had the hilarious, brain-like-a-planet leader.
I had the all-in-this-together leader.
The motherly leader.
The talk-the-birds-from-the-trees leader.
The you’ve-got-this-Chris leader.
I had the up-and-at-‘em leader and the caring-yet-demanding leader.
I was blessed to work with, and learn from, many outstanding leaders.
I also had the distant leader.
The diffident leader.
And the downright difficult leader.
I learnt plenty from them, too.
They say that you remember how a leader made you feel, but I’m not sure that’s the case.
What I remember first and foremost is how those leaders were with me, my experience of them.
Those shorthand characterisations aren’t a million miles away from the descriptions I hear when I gather 360 feedback for clients.
I’ve never heard anyone describe their leader as transformational or transactional, democratic or delegative, or any of the other styles described in the classic leadership models.
People make sense of their leaders in the terms they’d use over the kitchen table or in the pub.
The other thing I remember is the impact those leaders had on my career.
The doors they opened, the steps forward, sometimes the leaps and bounds, they made possible.
Like it or not, every leadership interaction has the potential to leave a powerful legacy.
So consciously thinking in everyday terms about the legacy you want to leave, and the impact you’re having on the careers of those you’re leading, might be no bad thing. For you, or for them.
I’d love to hear what type of leaders you’ve had in your career, and how you remember them! 😀