Recruitment that fits

When I first became a leader, I was terrible at it.

I thought leadership meant making everyone happy. I wanted every decision to be collaborative. I wanted every voice heard. I wanted everyone to feel included in everything.

It sounded good in theory. In reality, it was a disaster.

Decisions took forever. People were confused. Accountability was unclear. And despite all my efforts to make everyone happy, nobody actually was.

I became so frustrated that I went to my boss and told her she should put me back into an individual contributor role and hire a “real” leader.

Instead, she said no and got me an executive coach. At the time, I wasn’t particularly excited about that decision.

The first several coaching sessions were brutal. Every conversation seemed to uncover another area where I was falling short. I felt like I had a hundred things to fix and no idea where to start.

But something interesting happened over time. The noise started to quiet. I stopped trying to become someone else’s version of a leader and started figuring out what leadership looked like for me.

Years later, leadership is one of the areas where I receive the most positive feedback; from my teams, peers, and leaders I’ve worked alongside.

Not because I became perfect. Not because I found some secret leadership framework. Because I learned that leadership is built on two things: authenticity and trust.

I don’t put on airs. I don’t try to be someone I’m not. My team gets the same person in a one-on-one that they get in a leadership meeting, a client meeting, or a hallway conversation.

I trust people unless they give me a reason not to. I push them to grow beyond where I am. I advocate for them when opportunities arise. I hold them accountable when needed. I keep them informed, even when the news isn’t what they want to hear. And when decisions are made that differ from the direction they believe we should take, I try to help them understand the reasoning behind them.

That doesn’t mean they always agree. It means they understand.

I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about getting unanimous support. It’s about earning enough trust that people are willing to follow even when they disagree with the decision.

To me, that’s the difference between a leader and a manager. A manager relies on authority. People follow because they have to. A leader relies on trust. People follow because they choose to.

The best leaders I’ve worked for weren’t perfect. They didn’t always make the right call. They weren’t universally loved. But they were consistent. They were authentic. They cared about their people. And even when I disagreed with them, I knew they were trying to do what was best for the team and the organization.

That’s the kind of leader I have always tried to become.

Today, I’ve stepped away from direct leadership responsibilities, at least for now. But I will always value what those experiences taught me.

More importantly, I will always value the incredible humans I had the privilege to lead, support, learn from, and grow alongside.

In the end, that’s what made the journey worthwhile.

Not the title. Not the promotions. Not the organizational charts.

The people.

If you find yourself in a leadership role, be authentic, trust your people, and just be a good human.