The Metric
The life-sized cutout of Mr. Spock in my Star-Trek themed Denver hotel room focused his logical stare at me as I hung up with my brother. He had just given me his blessing to leave the family business I had helped build for the last 25 years and led for the last six. I glanced at the agenda for the Annual Strategic Planning Meeting scheduled to start later that morning. “Look at those sales projections” the graph whispered seductively. “All those profits you dreamed of are poised to pay off!” My brother was the ninth call I had made. The emotional high from the conversations with those nine people far exceeded the happy glow I usually got from an Excel spreadsheet. Every one of them (six were Vistage colleagues who helped me craft the blasted spreadsheet) said “You are not happy. Do what you need to. We have your back.” In that moment my metric stopped calculating in percentages and dollar signs and started being measured in relationships, people and trust.
Vulnerability = Strength
I am bit embarrassed to admit that I believed I could not be “successful” unless I reached the pinnacle of my career before age 32. Why 32, because of a Star Trek. My leadership icon, the fearless Captain Kirk, assumed command at 31. How could I be less? My leadership idol up until that point was an autocratic, micromanaging megalomaniac who could save the galaxy in 51 minutes. Through Vistage, I finally understood that leadership is paradoxical. “I don’t know the answer,” and “help me” shows strength. There is more power in a good team then there is in any photon torpedo.
Leadership > Power
What about that stellar team that was waiting for me at Strategic Planning? They were young, talented, and beautifully passionate about the business. Vistage taught me to envision where my ship was going, hire the right people for the right seats, give them clear directions and develop them both as employees and people. They looked to me as their leader, but ultimately, they had the desire and skills to go forward without me. I had to show them my ultimate trust by leaving them to do their jobs and reap the rewards.
The Mission
“Where no man has gone before” was the way I often felt insulated in a small business. My very first Vistage lesson however was “Wow, that business has the same problem. I am not alone.” There was such power in shattering isolation, even when there was no solution. Vistage provided me with an impartial group that were my personal board of directors. Their only mission, to support me. They succeeded in helping me work through the conflict loyalty of being a good daughter, a good leader and being good to myself. My next quest … to become the leader that brought deeper understanding to others.