5 Incredibly Honest Defining Moments of Leadership to Take to Heart
We are a few months into this Podcasting journey here at TeamCatapult. I say ‘we’ as it takes a team to get this all done: produce, publish and distribute a podcast!
I am thrilled to share that my vision for this podcast is taking shape. I’ve had incredible honest and deep conversations with fantastic leaders who each shared their own defining moment of leadership.
Here is a recap of their five defining moments of leadership.
1 Mark Franz on the Power of Curiosity as a Leader
Mark’s defining moment came at a time during which a team he was leading lost sight of the problem at hand and frustrations led them in the wrong direction because they felt like they weren’t being heard.
Mark’s intention was contradictory to the reception he was getting. He cared about his team, yet he caused their pain by not hearing their concerns.
By acknowledging the part he was playing in this situation and being vulnerable with his team, Mark was able to gain their support and trust again.
It took Mark’s curiosity as a leader to truly hear what was being said.
Listen to Mark’s Podcast here.
“Switch from judgment to curiosity”
~ Mark Franz
2 Ahmed Sidky on Growing Human Centric COO Leaders
Ahmed’s defining moment of leadership came soon after he was hired at Riot Games when he realized that there are a different range of stances one must take when mediating a conflict.
The role of a leader is not to respond to every request, but to get to know people on a deep level and inspire them to a new future. Ahmed shares how he personally met with every single person on his team to get to know them and how that changed everything about how he led his team moving forward.
In this conversation with me, Ahmed reveals the effects this idea of a human-centric COO has had in his line of work.
Listen to Ahmed’s Podcast here.
“Your investment in relationships will solve most of your problems”
~ Ahmed Sidky
3 Carrie Robinson on the Power of Collaborative Conversations
Carrie’s defining moment of leadership came when she stepped into a Director position and found herself caught in the trap of believing she had to have all of the answers and solutions.
She began to realize that how she showed up, impacted the way her team showed up, too. She began showing up more vulnerable, open and less scripted, which led to more open conversations all around her.
Since her shift, she has noticed her team having open, in-person conversations together rather than in separate, less productive environments.
Carrie is most proud that she now understands the importance of how she shows up to an interaction, rather than putting the blame on anybody else.
Listen to Carrie’s Podcast here.
“Leadership development is a lifelong journey”
~ Carrie Robinson
4 Jeanie Duncan on Living Your Truth
Jeanie’s defining moment of leadership came when she realized that there was a lack of personal fulfillment in her life that led to her coming out.
For years, Jeanie was crippled by fear and not brave enough to claim her sexuality; eventually, though, she found that loving herself and her family meant that she had to claim her truth and stop hiding who she was.
Her coming out process has helped her learn to answer her “internal saboteur” with affirmations shared by a mentor, and driven her to call others forward into their truth. She is set to soon publish a book, Discovering and Living Your Truth.
Jeanie advises listeners to attend to and trust themselves, in leadership and in life.
Listen to Jeanie’s Podcast here.
“Trust yourself, pay attention to messages from your body”
~ Jeanie Duncan
5 Mags Ng on Being Authentic and Extraordinary
Mags’ defining moment of leadership came when she was tapped to take on the role as manager. Her gut and heart said “don’t do it,” but her brain said it would look good on a resume and she should do it.
This story of Mags’ biggest failure actually led to her success.
Mags shares that she had to go through the process of being in a role that wasn’t for her to understand what she really wanted to do. The trick is having the courage to take one step outside your box to begin filling in the back between what you want and where you are.
Mags leaves listeners with a message that you need to be authentic in their leadership. She thinks of a leader as someone who focuses on love and authenticity.
Listen to Mags’ Podcast here.
“Dreaming after all is a form of planning”
~ Mags Ng
What is Your Defining Moment of Leadership?
I am curious to know if you can identify a clear defining moment in leadership in your own leadership journey?
TeamCatpult invites you to come join the conversation about leadership in our Facebook community.
Subscribe to the podcast today!
