Is There a Right Way To Lead?

One of the most consistent ways I hold myself back as a leader is the belief that there is a "right" and a “wrong” way to do things.

And I see this all the time for HR leaders who are regularly facing situations they've never encountered before.

You need to make an important decision, take the lead on a big project, give your input to the CEO, or any number of never-before-seen scenarios that come up.

Imposter syndrome hits you in the face.

You panic.
You breathe.
You look around for answers.
You look to someone who is more senior.
You ask people who have been there before.
You consider what the CEO might want to hear.
You Google it or ask people in a community Slack group.

You search outside yourself in hope of a magic bullet or proven formula. For reassurance.

And while I support getting input from others, especially stakeholders, this can come at the expense of undermining your own leadership.

Leadership is a daring act of taking risks from a place of believing, not knowing.

It’s taking a stand for what you believe in; centering on your own truth.

So, when this comes up for me, I ask...

What if there were no right or wrong ways to approach this?
What if what I believe to be true is good enough?
What beliefs am I willing to fail for?
What would I do then?