Leading with Passion Series - Planning for Leadership

by Jessica Biel, SMPS Seattle President, Perkins+Will

Planning for Leadership

Boss. Captain. Dignitary. Ringleader. Ruler. Commander. Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus cites these as synonyms for "leader" or people who guide. Leadership is not the same as authority or power. A title or a position within a company does not define a leader. Mother. Father. Teacher. Friend. Doctor. These are synonyms I would cite as a "leader" or people who guide. Theorists for centuries have expressed varying opinions, definitions, and ascribed characteristics regarding leadership. Every individual must establish their own definition and set their own goals to become the type of leader they aspire to be. My MBA People and Systems of an Organization professor assigned a project to create a leadership transformational plan (big, scary title!) which included creating a legacy statement (what do you want to be remembered for?) and lifelong tactics to reach that goal. As the current SMPS Seattle President it's been a great opportunity to revisit my plan from 5+ years ago. I won't overwhelm you with the 20 page paper but I will share this excerpt:

In both business and from a personal standpoint, my mission is to enjoy life through experiences and successes and make others happy through my relationships and community involvement. "Being a leader brings with it a responsibility to do something of significance that makes families, communities, work organizations, nations, the environment, and the world better places than they are today." Kouzes & Posner, authors of A Leader's Legacy. I revere family, relationships, and empowering others but also receive personal satisfaction by creating and achieving goals through a structured approach. This is why I choose mentor and inspiration, organized, and happy for my legacy. A mentor and an inspiration to others and organized and happy for myself.

Mentoring can be approached from two sides, career, in terms of coaching, and psychosocially, regarding counseling and friendship. I feel mentors, in and out of the office, are not only educational but inspirational, helping you to discover the potential within yourself. "People watch what you do more than they listen to what you say. Be something worth emulating." Michael Angier, author and motivational speaker, in his Top Ten Ways to Inspire Others to be Their Best.

People who are organized in their personal lives generally are more efficient at work and ultimately succeed in their personal endeavors whether it is financial, emotional, or physical. 

Research from Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Diego suggests that happiness not only affects people you know but spreads through social networks and can touch people you've never met. They study showed that happiness from an immediate contact increased an individual's chances of becoming happy by 15 percent, a second-degree contact increased the likeliness of that person becoming happy by 10 percent, and the happiness of a third degree contact (the friend of a friend of a friend) had a likelihood of becoming happy by six percent.

Wow...that's a lot of happiness! I thought the original assignment was crazy. How could one plan out their entire life's leadership plan? I shouldn't have doubted my professor. So what do you want your legacy to be?

Until next time.

Cheers, Jessica