Welcome to "Diary of a Leader" - Real Stories, Leadership Lessons, and Personal Growth
Ah, leadership! The thrilling, heart-racing journey of ups, downs, and all the delightful chaos in between.
Welcome to "Diary of a Leader," where I peel back the curtain on the good, the bad, and the downright awkward moments of being a leader.
And today, I’m serving up a lesson that is part one of a two part lesson:
Sometimes the most important leadership lessons come when you let go of your plan and stay open to the unexpected.
The Wake-Up Call (a.k.a. My "Aha" Moment)
Earlier this year, I joined a program focused on leadership, health, and well-being. At the time, I wasn’t actively leading a team, but I wanted to stay sharp—keep those leadership muscles strong, even without the daily workout. Plus, I’d had experiences in the past where team members came to me feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and on the edge of burnout. Honestly? I didn’t feel entirely equipped to guide them through those conversations about mental health.
So, this program seemed like the perfect fit—helping me become a better leader, especially in managing the well-being of my team. Seems simple, right?
Not entirely.
What I Expected vs. What I Got (Yes, There Was a Plot Twist)
I walked into this program with a clear goal: to learn how to better support my team in times of stress and maybe pick up a few wellness strategies along the way. A solid plan, right? Well, as it turns out, what I walked away with was something completely different—and so much more impactful than I anticipated.
The funny thing about growth is that it doesn’t always follow the roadmap you’ve laid out. And that’s exactly what happened to me. The program took me down a path I hadn’t expected, one that made me realize my initial objective wasn’t the whole story.
What I learned instead was that leadership is more than just tools and techniques. It’s about being willing to let go of preconceived ideas, adopting a growth mindset, and staying open to the experience, even if it takes you somewhere unexpected. This program was a great example of how you can go into a situation with a clear plan of how things should unfold, but they don’t always follow the script. The same can happen in conversations, meetings, or performance reviews—you might think you know the outcome, but real growth often comes from taking a different route.
As I like to say:
You may not always get what you want, but you always get what you need.
Why Flexibility and a Growth Mindset in Leadership Are So Important
We often come into situations with expectations, shaped by our experiences and biases. While that’s natural, it can limit the lessons we’re able to learn if we aren’t open to where the journey might take us.
In my case, I thought I was going to focus solely on how to help others navigate stress and burnout, but what I discovered was far deeper. The program challenged me to reflect on my own leadership style, my well-being, and how my personal approach was affecting those around me. It completely shifted my perspective, making me realize that leadership isn’t just about solving problems for others—it’s about growth, flexibility, and staying present for whatever comes your way. It reinforced the power of embracing a growth mindset, both in leadership and in life.
Advice: How to Embrace the Unexpected in Leadership and even LIFE...
Here are a few tips that have helped me:
Let Go of Preconceived Outcomes
It’s great to have goals, but don’t let your expectations become rigid. Sometimes the lessons we need are different from what we planned for. Be willing to change direction when new opportunities or insights present themselves.
Ask More Questions, Make Fewer Assumptions
Instead of assuming you already know what you need, get curious. Ask yourself (or others) more open ended questions. This openness invites new perspectives and can lead to discoveries you wouldn’t have reached otherwise.
Stay Present in the Moment
Leadership can often feel like a future-focused activity, but sometimes the best insights come when you’re fully present. Instead of always thinking about the next step or outcome, allow yourself to be in the moment and absorb what’s happening around you.
Reflect Regularly on Your Experience
Take time to reflect on your leadership journey. What did you expect? What did you actually learn? Regular reflection helps you spot those unexpected lessons and lets you adjust course accordingly.
Embrace Discomfort
Growth often comes with a little discomfort. If you’re feeling out of your depth, that might be a good sign! It means you’re stepping beyond your comfort zone and are open to new ways of thinking and leading.
Wrapping Up (Because Time is Precious)
So, What Did I Actually Learn?
I’m going to save the full reveal for the next post (because where’s the fun without a little suspense?), but let me give you a hint: the biggest lesson I learned wasn’t about leading others—it was about leading myself.
By staying flexible and open to what the program had to offer, I ended up uncovering a critical truth about leadership and wellness that changed everything for me. And it’s something I think every leader—whether you’re managing a team or not—needs to hear.
Don’t miss the next post, where I’ll dive into the tough truth I uncovered about myself and how it radically shifted the way I approach leadership. It’s a lesson that changed everything for me, and I promise—it’s one you won’t want to miss.
Catch you next time, fellow leaders-in-training!
Stay tuned for more reflections and lessons from the trenches of leadership in the next installment of
"Diary of a Leader"
Additional Resources
Here are some great resources that support embracing unexpected outcomes in leadership:
Books on Leadership and Mindset:
"Mindset" Carol Dweck
"Gardeners not Mechanics" by Gary Lloyd
"Leadershift" by John C. Maxwell
Podcasts on Leadership and Mindset:
Surprising Insights About the Growth Mindset that Project Managers Need to Know, with Eduardo Briceño - People & Projects Podcast
Articles on Leadership and Mindset:
Learn more about WHO you are:
This was an unexpected gift! Thank you so much Lindsay, great insights, can’t wait to learn more about what you actually learned!