Having a mentor is essential.
Recently, I had a chance to meet with Art Ross. Art served as senior pastor in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the church where I was Director of Music. Art and I had conflict when we worked together. We were both creative and in control. He was head of staff, and I was not. I pushed back on his authority. I’m lucky that I kept my job. Keeping my job made it possible for me to learn a lot from Art.
It’s been many years since we worked together. The lessons, however, still ring true in me. In a recent visit, I shared with him what he taught me over 10 years of working together, and that I still use these bits of wisdom on an almost-daily basis.
Art coached me on important things that I could not learn from reading books. He was my mentor for success. In reflecting on what I learned over those 10 years of working together, I am constantly aware of the strides I made in my leadership skills.
Here are some topics:
Watch the triangles…
The leader should be a resource, not a doer…
Allow others to function upward by raising the bar…
Ask thoughtful questions and listen carefully to the answers…
There are many more subjects that are important, which have lasting impacts on people and systems. Remembering what we have learned is a constant challenge for leaders.
The point – have a coach or mentor (different functions).
The reason “Blind Spots” have that name is because they are.
None of us is as smart as all of us.
Hugh Ballou
The Transformational Leadership Strategist