Leading with my left hand.
As I wandered the streets of Amsterdam filling the time I had between meetings and wanting to enjoy the first day of spring, I was drawn into an unassuming book shop that I must have passed hundreds of times before. It was full of treasures and I could have spent the rest of the afternoon getting lost in all the jewels (books, zines, prints).
Left with my Right Hand
I picked up a little green book called “Left With My Right Left Hand'', and within it were sketches by the author's left hand (spoiler alert: he was right handed).
For someone who is right handed and can’t really draw with that hand, they are pretty impressive.
See for yourself.
It had me reflect back to a conversation I had had earlier in the week with a visionary leader.
Their team was struggling with execution as he gave them lots of autonomy with little direction. He couldn’t understand why they were lost. He stated, “I’m not the operational type, I’m a long-term thinker, and can’t get into the details!”
Leadership is not one single strategy
It is a dynamic balance between when to take charge, and when to let the reigns free. Too much reliance on either hand leads to an imperfect balance that inevitably leads to problems down the road.
Leadership is ambidextrous
Our teams need us to balance both sides of the coin, instead of indexing on the one we are more at ease and familiar with. If you’ve ever tried to write (let alone draw) with your left hand, you know that sense of discomfort and frustration. You know you could do it easily and effortlessly if you just moved the pen to the other hand. It requires significantly more time and concentration - who has time for this?
Well, dear leader, that is the feeling of growth. Growth is hard and uncomfortable. It takes time and concentration. When you’re trying something new, remember that you may never be an expert - but you might just be good enough.
Leading with your
left hand.
What would leading with your left hand look like?
Does it look like speaking up at an all-hands meeting?
Adding structure to your 1:1s (or having them consistently)?
Remember to take the time to share context in the change management you’re leading?
Get out of the details and inspire?
Understanding the finance side of the business?
Don’t go into a stretch goal expecting to come out an expert. The importance is to try. Embrace the discomfort, the frustration, the time.
REFLECTION
What feels uncomfortable for you right now? How can you turn that into a small action to reduce the level of stretch but lean into the discomfor?
Do you think acknowledging your areas of development to your team could lead you to being a better all-around leader?
Do you have a peer you could pair with where you could support each other by leveraging complementary strengths and holding each other accountable to the ‘left-handed’ leadership stretch?
You may be surprised by your results.