Can a Sherpa help you lead better?
In The 100X Leader, Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram establish the idea of "100X leaders," those who know how to not only lead themselves, but develop others to become effective leaders as well. They describe 100X leaders as Sherpas. Sherpas have experience reaching the pinnacle of a mountain, but personal achievement is not their greatest priority. Rather, they define success by how many climbers they help reach the summit. Steps to becoming a Sherpa leader include knowing your strengths and weaknesses, developing self-awareness, establishing credibility and integrity, and learning to support and challenge teammates so they become their best.
Takeaways:
Figure out where you want to go. Until you become clear on your destination and a compelling reason to go there, don't expect to go anywhere. Becoming a leader for the sake of leadership doesn't help anyone. When I first took on a manager position with a pharmacy, it was out of necessity because I had no other job options. I didn't care for the additional responsibilities that came with it. However, when a similar opportunity was offered to me a couple years later while working for another company, I took it as a necessary step toward improving my leadership skills. By then, I had figured out a more exciting career path, one which required becoming a more experienced leader.
Elevate the playing field. The mark of leaders is not about simply achieving more personally, but improving the effectiveness of their entire team. You might have heard the saying that "leaders don't do all the work, but they make sure all the work gets done." The leader's role involves helping others do their roles well. I experienced this multiplier effect in my salsa dancing community. As my salsa dancing skills improved, I got more compliments. Although I liked the attention, my greatest satisfaction came from teaching others to enjoy dancing as much as I did. However, the range of people I could help as an individual teacher could only go so far. The biggest yield involves equipping others to teach salsa, so that the salsa dancing club no longer depends as much on me to contribute.
Establish a culture to grow others. In line with the second point, you can only do so much as one person. You have a finite amount of energy and time. Establishing a system extends your reach. At my pharmacy, I don't impose my expectations on my employees, no matter how well I justify my stance. Rather, I discussed the qualities of an ideal employee with my team, allowing each member to have input on what is appropriate. Once they help shape the culture, they can help train future employees without my direct involvement.
This book is straightforward in walking readers through the process of how to become effective leaders. Whether helping you evaluate your circles of influence, providing concrete examples of how to apply their principles, or sharing their own development as Sherpas, the authors have provided a guide that is thorough yet easy to read. If you want to improve your influence and impact, try out what Kubicek and Cockram have to say.
