Recently i read about Simon Sinek’s post about would you still lead if no one ever knew your name? and my answer to those question is a solid “yes”. Here’s the story, back then we have two senior-level teammates on our team, one of them is in the official leader of the project and another one is not. Because i am new at my role, i am still struggling at the beginning of the project, and surprisingly the non-lead senior-level teammate reach out to me and saying “Hey, do you have some difficulty with your task? If so, you can ask me”. He didn’t have to, but he still reach out to me and as someone who is trying to understand how to do the task, that means a lot to me.
Since then, i will always try to help if i can, even if i am not the “official” leader of the project. That’s because i want to create a team that will cover each other’s back. You might be surprised that by me helping other teammates in need, overtime, my teammates also helping me too. Like Simon’s said in his post, creating the “Circle of Safety”.
That’s why when i read Simon’s post, it resonates with me. Leadership is not about the position, it’s the act of service. These consistent act of service will create trust between each others, and those trust will create a “safety” environment where we can thrive together.
So, if you are not sure how to lead other people or how to become a leader, you might want to start helping other people, even if it’s not your responsibility.
P.S: Here’s another quote from Simon Sinek about leadership:
The joy of leadership comes from seeing others achieve more than they thought they were capable of.