At yesterday’s Ross Leadership Hour, hosted by Otterbein University, the featured speaker was Tracy Maxwell Heard. Ms. Heard is the founder and CEO of Millennium Solutions, Inc. and the former Democratic leader of the Ohio House of Representatives. She was speaking on the topic of “The Absence of Lack and the Relevance of Relationship.”
Oh, the notes I took!
Part of the talk was about finding your “common community” and leading through it. As an introvert challenged by the very extroverted activity of networking to build community, the following comment captured my attention:
Solitary people often lead through sharing.
Reflecting on my professional journey, I have been at my best when I surrounded myself with a small and mighty, motivated and committed, smart and generous team. I saw my role as sharing the goal, sharing inspiration, sharing information, and sharing resources. Then, I got out of the way unless some blocking and tackling was needed. My best teams moved mountains.
During the discussion period after her presentation, I asked Ms. Heard to expand on her thoughts about solitary people and how they lead.
Three Rs: Relationship + Results = Ripple effect
In summary, she shared that leadership is really about two things: relationships and results. Achieving those two things then has a ripple effect. Positive results open the door to new relationships. New relationships create new opportunities. Those opportunities invite expanded influence, which leads to continued results, and on and on. This lasting impact is also part of our legacy as a leader, extending well beyond what we are personally aware of.
We “solitary people” lead through personal connection. There is a heart-to-heart bond (read: love) built on trust, integrity, mutual respect, humility, a generous investment in the other and a desire for their success. When those qualities and circumstances are present, a leader’s influence has a ripple effect of unknown boundary.
One cannot be a solitary leader but a solitary person absolutely can lead.
Are you a “solitary person”? Do you see your leadership journey in those three R’s?
.
Photo credit: “Serenity is golden…But sometimes a few ripples are needed as proof of life” by Kavya Bhat, used with Creative Commons license.
