As I tick over three years at EndGame, I started to reflect on my leadership journey to get me here.

I began my ‘formal’ leadership journey just after COVID in 2020 as I looked for my ‘what next’. During this time I’ve read a few books, I’ve listened to a few podcasts, I’ve tried, I’ve failed, I’ve succeeded. So the following are the top 10 things I have learnt so far, in no particular order;

1. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Smarter people make you up your game, they make you smarter which in turn makes you better.
2. Know what you don’t know and know how to fill that gap. Being aware of your gaps will help you better understand what to ask and what to look out for.
3. We all have gut instinct, some better than others. Validate that feeling by asking questions; collect data points so you can make informed decisions. And sometimes you just have to back your gut instinct. Trust yourself.
4. Make yourself available and be present. It’s an easy excuse to say you're ‘busy’ but make time for your people and make sure you’re present when you meet with them. Respect others’ time by being present in your interactions; big or small.
5. Listen. Following on from being present is listening. Do less talking and listen to what is being said. Sometimes people just want to rant/talk/express, the best thing you can do is listen to them and ask them ‘how can I help?’ or ‘is there something you’d like me to do?’. Resist the natural urge to solutionise.
6. Enable and share in the success of those you lead. Enable your people to do their best by unblocking them, supporting them, helping them, and build a platform for them to succeed. And when they succeed, share in the success - this is about them NOT you.
7. Relationships are one of the strongest levers a leader can have. Building strong relationships and trust with those you lead will enable you to pull that lever should the situation arise. Would your team go to battle for you?
8. Show vulnerability. We all get it wrong some times. We don’t always know everything about everything. That’s OK. Own it. Own your mistakes. It’s okay to fail. It’s not okay to fail at the same thing over and over.
9. Be clear of expectations and always over-communicate. Assumptions can end in disaster. Make sure your expectations, as a leader, are clear to your team. Communication = transparency = trust.
10. Lead by example. Treat others like you want to be treated. Do things you expect others to do.
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I am fortunate enough to have some awesome people around me. I’ve learnt a lot from these people’s own experiences and their knowledge, I will always be deeply grateful for these people so thank you!

If you’d like to chat to me further about any of my learnings drop me a line on warren.sue@end-game.com

(Image credit @benezoix)