"I'm great at coding, but leading people? I'm completely out of my depth. I'm afraid I'll let everyone down." Do you relate?

Sarah, a brilliant software engineer at a rapidly growing tech startup, found herself thrust into a leadership role she never anticipated.

As the company expanded, her technical expertise made her the natural choice to lead a new development team.

However, Sarah's initial excitement quickly gave way to self-doubt and anxiety.

Her fears were manifesting in micromanagement, difficulty delegating, and a reluctance to make decisions.

Team morale was suffering, and Sarah was on the verge of stepping down.

Our work together focused on three key areas:

📡 Self-discovery:
We delved into Sarah's core values, strengths, and the source of her fears.

This process revealed a deep-seated imposter syndrome and a misalignment between her perceived role as a leader and her authentic self.


🎩 Redefining leadership:
We explored what authentic leadership meant for Sarah, moving away from stereotypical notions that didn't resonate with her personality.


🤹 Skill development:
We identified specific leadership skills Sarah needed to develop, with a focus on communication, delegation, and decision-making.


Over six months, Sarah's approach to leadership underwent a remarkable shift:

✅ She embraced vulnerability, openly sharing her journey with her team. This transparency fostered a culture of trust and mutual support.

✅ By aligning her leadership style with her values, Sarah found her authentic voice. She leveraged her problem-solving skills to approach team challenges with the same enthusiasm she had for technical problems.

✅ Sarah implemented regular feedback sessions, both giving and receiving, which dramatically improved team dynamics and productivity.

🏆 The Results:

1. Team productivity increased by 30% in the quarter following our work together.

2. Employee satisfaction scores within Sarah's team rose from 65% to 89%.

3. Sarah was recognized with the company's "Emerging Leader of the Year" award.

In Sarah's own words:

"This journey forced me to confront questions I'd been avoiding my entire career. It wasn't always comfortable, but it led me to discover strengths I never knew I had.

I've not only become a better leader but a more authentic version of myself."


🔑 Key Takeaways

1. Authentic leadership often requires confronting uncomfortable truths about ourselves.

2. Aligning leadership style with personal values leads to more effective and fulfilling leadership.

3. Vulnerability and transparency can be powerful tools for building trust and fostering team growth.

4. The journey to becoming a great leader is inherently a journey of personal growth and self-discovery.


Curious about your leadership style? Take a moment for self-reflection with our Resilient Leader Quiz https://wllw.co/1xGdfeLGR

It might be the spark for your professional and personal growth next step.