Leadership
As seen in Nobleman Magazine
What is “Leadership?” Wikipedia says “leadership encompasses the ability of an individual to “lead,” influence or guide other individuals, teams or an entire organization.” Fair enough. First Team Real Estate purchased my real estate company in 2018 and I came aboard as Regional Manager. This meant I was overseeing (leading?) other office managers and agents in the company. My first manager’s meeting was met with a little apprehension from the managers as I am sure they were wondering who this newcomer was and did she know how to lead. I understood very quickly I had to earn their respect and instinctively I knew what I was going to do to earn their respect. I not only became the go-to person when it came to contracts or laws or structuring deals but I went out of my way to make their lives better. Some people call it “servant” leadership (a bit cliche, don’t you think) but I just call it “leadership.” In my 20 plus years in the industry, I always made it a basic tenet of mine that I was going to make the lives of those who worked for and with me BETTER! When you make the lives of those around you better, you can bet they will not only respect you, they will go out of their way to not disappoint you!
I worked hard, learned as much as I could about First Team and earned a promotion to COO. I continued my leadership journey in this role until I was promoted to CEO of the company. I was the first female CEO of First Team Real Estate, the largest independent real estate company in SoCal. I was, of course, deeply honored and excited but also knew I had to continue to grow as a leader, never stopping or resting on my laurels. Leaders do not stop learning how to be better leaders, ever! My leadership journey started in the Marine Corps, not that I realized it at the time, but those drill instructors were the first “leaders” I experienced. Now, military leadership and discipline is great for the military, however, it is decidedly different from the leadership required for 1900 independent contractors! That kind of leadership is a different skill set altogether. Military leadership has built-in expectations; respect the rank regardless of the person, respect the order given by the rank without question, it was automatic. Take the hill? Sir, yes sir! In the private sector, especially the sector with independent contractors, you have to earn respect.
How does a leader earn respect? For me it involved figuring out what kind of leader I wanted to be for the industry I love. I want to be Clear, Decisive, Humble and Disciplined. There are more attributes I continue to work on but let’s focus on these.
Being Clear and Decisive. A good leader communicates goals, expectations and feedback clearly to ensure everyone is on the same page. They foster an environment where the team feels comfortable sharing ideas and concerns. A good leader also makes decisions promptly and effectively even under pressure. They stand by their decisions and have the courage to take responsibility if the outcomes aren't ideal. A good leader does not blame other people for the outcomes of the team; a good leader understands that the buck stops with them.
Another thing that separates the men from the boys when it comes to leadership is Discipline. If you're a disciplined leader you're going to lead by example. You're going to give a powerful example to your team. A leader who's disciplined shows up on time, meets deadlines and consistently performs at a high level. Discipline also enhances a leader's credibility. If you can't manage yourself, how can you expect to manage others? A disciplined leader makes the team feel more secure and motivated, knowing they will be working in a well-structured and Purpose Driven environment.
Humility; that can be really hard for some folks. It’s like hey, I got to this level so you know I must be awesome. And there's nothing wrong with thinking you're awesome. We have to understand that humility doesn't mean thinking less of yourself, it means thinking of yourself less. Humble leaders understand their own limitations and recognize the strengths and expertise of their team members. They trust their staff to handle tasks within their areas of expertise, knowing that they don’t have to micromanage every detail. Plus if you can’t trust your team, your team won’t trust you. As a leader, you also make sure you have the right “who” in the position to ensure your team can succeed. Humility is honesty, being honest with yourself and being honest with those around you, not trying to make yourself appear stronger or better or smarter. Remember Humility is nothing but truth, pride is nothing but lying.
I am very excited about my journey to being a better leader. I want to change lives and be an inspiration. I think when we approach leadership in the ways I’ve outlined it creates an environment where people want to follow.
Remember, “If you are leading and nobody is following, then you are just taking a walk.”
