To not be a leader
But one a leader needs
I was assigned my first big project 2 weeks ago.
In the format of a hackathon, I worked closely with a small team to create a product feature in a short timeline. The pace of this project is crazy. As a comparison, my usual project was like learning to drive in your driveway. Now, I got dropped on the highway.
The project needed 2 Product Managers to lead, and I was paired with Sophia, whom I had long admired for her sharp thinking and strategic mind. In most meetings, Sophia would pinpoint the goals, answer the team’s questions, and identify the next steps. Me, I am taking a copious amount of notes, sending out follow-up emails to the team diligently, and absorbing all the information thrown to me. I was like the co-pilot, checking to ensure we were on the right track, and Sophia took the wheel.
“How is that being a Product Manager… you are not leading the team at all.” A friend told me when I was describing my role.
“What do you mean?”
“Well…As a Product Manager, you are supposed to identify the visions, align people on the goals, prioritize things, no? But you are not doing any of that. Sophia is. You are more like her assistant, taking notes and sending follow-up emails. But you are a Product Manager yourself too. Step it up.”
I think about it long and hard.
Yes, I am a Product Manager too. Yes, I am just taking notes and sending emails. Yes, Sophia is doing a great job, as she always does.
But, do I really need to step up…?
One crazy guy dancing on the hill. Topless, sunburnt, in his own zone. His dance moves were a combination of Mr. Bean’s and Jim Carey’s. For the longest time, he was all by himself in his own world. People were laughing and pointing until a second person came in. He joined and embraced the first guy’s “Jim Carey” spirit. The first guy is no longer crazy, because he now has someone with him. Then others join, making it 3 people, 5 people, 7, 15, then a whole crowd. The first crazy guy is lost in the crowd of crazy dancing people.
This video is easily in my top 5 favorites of all time. Not only because it is absolutely entertaining, but it is also a reminder of how powerful it is to be a supporter. A supporter turned a random man into a leader, and a ridiculous dance into a movement. A supporter is the one who gives power.
We credit the leader for success for all the right reasons: They lead the team, establish the vision, and keep everyone on track. But it was not enough. We forgot…
…those who see the potential and give trust. Like the guy in the video.
…those who scream the loudest, cheer the hardest, and put the camera up the highest to capture the moment, like my mom when I was on stage singing in a competition.
…those who keep things on track, so the leaders can do their job to the best of their ability, like me with Sophia.
They are needed.
The world would be such a mess if everyone is a genius. Someone’s got to keep watch, take care of the business.” - Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
While leaders are visionary, the followers are the true pioneers. They are the ones who make an ordinary person a leader, and a hero. Every Sherlocks Holmes has his Dr. Watson. Every Aladdin has his Genie. Every Merlin has his Dory. They only become who they are with their followers. Their mission would be much more difficult, or would never be complete.
One does not need to be a leader to be great. Sometimes, he just needs to be the person who can support one.
P/s: Thank you to you, who subscribed to my blog, gave it a read, and left a like/comment. You are the one who gives energy and power to this blog, and I appreciate you ❤️
I don’t agree with your post at all >:(
…Because you are leading! Sure, you aren’t doing the strategic planning and all of that jazz. But you’re understanding, note-taking, checking up on your team for updates, “the co-pilot” as you put it. There were so many, so many (so many) times I saw great ideas in Middlebury fail because there was no co-pilot to set the plane on course. The things you are doing aren’t glamorous, and people may overlook the many important contributions you have made along the way. But make no mistake, you are a leader! You are seizing initiative, seeking to promote understanding, holding team members accountable. If that isn’t a leader, I don’t know what that is.
I don’t want to say things like “I understand what you’re feeling”, because I simply can’t fathom the craziness associated with being at the reins of some big corporate project. But I can say that what you are talking about resonates a lot with me. There’s a lot I want to say, but it’s very late here and my brain hurty. So, here’s what I’ll say.
I shadowed a cardiologist several weeks ago. She works at a nearby hospital, and the cardiology department is absolutely massive (we have a lot of older folks around the area). There are so many different subtypes of doctors within the department: electrophysiologists, interventional cardiologists, CHF specialists, surgeons, etc. And the cardiologist I shadowed? “Merely” a general cardiologist. Every premed fantasizes about being a heart surgeon. But I was, and still am, in so much awe of what the general cardiologist was doing. Because she was walking throughout the hospital to make sure that the patients were doing fine. She was the one coordinating all of the Physician Assistants. And heck, if there was some poor soul stuck in the ER, she was there too to see what she could do. 10,400 steps. That’s how many steps she took that day (apple watch). Just to see all of the patients, to make sure everyone was okay, to keep the department running on time. She wasn’t doing things in the cath lab (the fancy place for patients with heart attacks). But so what? She was the most important physician that day.
The project you talked about likely demanded 2 Project Managers for a reason, and I don’t think it was to have two Sophias. But a Sophia and Linh. Pb&J. Lightning and thunder. Feel free to shun the spotlight, but don’t ever think that what you are doing isn’t leadership.
Lao Tzu: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves”
This post is another amazing piece of yours! I've been thinking about this thing a lot, like "If everyone is a leader, then who will be the leader?". It should not have two alpha males/females in a team. Sometimes, it's important to be a leader without a title <3