GSB Leadership & Communication Goals | Picking My Spots

"What leadership and/or communication skills do you look forward to learning in this class - or at the GSB in general - and why?"

When thinking about leadership and communication skills I’d like to improve on at the GSB, a couple of areas come to mind: First, I’d like to better learn to “pick my spots” in my communication as a leader. My instinct is to be very hands-on in communication: for example, to set the tone immediately with a lot of energy and an emphasis on trying to ensure everyone feels included, to fill in pauses with ideas or questions or jokes, and generally to be quick to voice a different opinion. All of these, especially the first element re: setting a tone of inclusion, are instincts that I want to maintain. However, I think by taking a bit less active of a role and more readily watching things unfold before jumping in, I will be able to be more thoughtful about infusing my energy when it is most needed, more observant about team dynamics, and more internally calm as a leader. I’d like to practice this while at the GSB – both through classes and outside initiatives.

Second, and similarly, I’d like to better learn to “pick my spots” in operational leadership as well. My instinct is to drive toward perfection on most projects and initiatives, especially when I am personally excited about them; if I see something to improve, I feel we should go ahead and improve it. While I’ve gotten better over time about being “80/20” in my own work by selecting the right things to focus on and knowing when to push to the “100,” I am still looking for the right balance in leading teammates. I would like to be more “big-picture” in thinking about when to spur members of my team to go the distance on a given project versus encourage them to use their time, for example, on exploring new, high-potential ideas that could be game-changers for the broader goal at hand. Relatedly, I’d also like to be more proactive about factoring in work-life balance for my team members – being explicit that, even when I think we should push further, I do not mean to imply pushing past important work-life boundaries folks have set for themselves. Again, I hope to practice this in GSB classes and especially in outside projects!