In the early part of my career, I struck out more than once when it came to working for and being mentored by strong leaders. Instead, I seemed to gravitate toward highly successful business professionals who understood sales and results but lacked true leadership. They were not mentors. They may have trained their employees, but they didn’t coach. They did not create space for or encourage growth. At the time, those experiences were incredibly difficult. But looking back, some of my most important leadership lessons came from them, powerful lessons about what not to do. I didn’t wallow or feel sorry for myself. Instead, I focused on one simple mantra: when I am in that role, I will do it differently. And I did.
And then, something remarkable happened. Along the way, leaders began to appear in my personal and professional life, leaders who saw something in me before I fully saw it myself. Leaders who coached me, challenged me, opened doors, and at times created roles where none existed. They guided me through inflection points, helped me stretch beyond my comfort zone, and trusted me with opportunities that fundamentally changed my trajectory. Those relationships changed my life.
Fast forward 3 decades, and I’ve learned that those leaders never stop appearing. They show up at different moments, in different seasons, and at different stages of your career if you’re paying attention. The lesson isn’t to search for a good leader or to dwell on the bad; instead, look around, take the good lessons, along with the bad ones. Apply what you learn to better understand the leader you are and the leader you want to be. And focus on that!
So I’ll leave you with this question: “Who made an impact on your career? Who changed your trajectory? And, have you thanked them recently? And just as importantly, are you paying it forward? Who can you mentor, encourage, or lift up today?”