Eva-Maria Meyr

Additionally, I want to add the importance of discussing and clarifying how a person feels valued and praised. Only if you and, equally importantly, the person are aware of what motivates and drives her/him, you're able to use the feedback, set goals, and plan the development.

I experienced the difference between distributed and "non-distributed" leadership without knowing the theory behind it back then. I wanted to guide my team through a major change without involving my leadership team in the steps along the way. I thought that was "what's expected from me as a leader." Looking back, this is one of the biggest learnings I was gifted with. I experienced great resistance on all fronts. When I asked my leadership team why it was so hard, they gave me brutally honest feedback that they felt disconnected and missed context, which led to cautiousness and slowdown. My two learnings: -> Form a leadership team rooted in trust, respect, and authenticity. -> Leverage the collective power of this team and network.

I'm not a fan of "leadership theory" per sé. As inspiration - Absolutely. To gain your basic toolbox - Yes. But in practice, I experienced so many leaders preaching what they didn't practice. As leader you need to be calm and confident, that's achieved by knowing yourself and experience. My experience showed me: You need to practice leadership, and focus on self-reflection to become better. When you're becoming a better human, you also become a better leader. One piece of advice from my end would be mentoring and getting mentored, I find this the best way to further develop your leadership skills.

I can only add here that I'm convinced it's one of the most crucial aspects of development it WHOM you are surrounded with. The better, aspiring, smart, future thinking, etc, the people around you - the more you'll naturally benefit.

"Feedback is a gift" - we all heard this quote 1,000 times. I don't entirely agree with it. I'm convinced feedback is needed in any aspect of life to grow, but it also depends on WHOM you receive it from, HOW you interpret it, and WHAT you do with it. Only receiving it is way too little for development. I'm very selective in whom I ask for feedback. I choose people I respect and interact with regularly but who have different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. I'm asking for blind spots and examples. After receiving it, I start working with the feedback. I review them individually. Take notes and note down questions. I clarify my questions if possible, start clustering commonalities, and align them with my growth plan.

In today's fast-paced world of self-improvement and constant hustling, it's easy to lose your way or even find your way. Personally, I've found that relying on tools to evaluate your skills often leads to misdirection, and, in the worst cases, blind faith in their outcomes. Over the years, I've traveled the path of self-awareness and reflection, and I truly recommend this approach. Start by understanding yourself and your values. Once you've established that strong foundation, you can consider taking assessments for the sheer enjoyment of it. Here's an additional piece of advice: Concentrate on amplifying your strengths, and offset your weaknesses by surrounding yourself with individuals whose strengths complement your own weaknesses.