What are your guardrails?

February 24, 2025

Sometimes we approach leadership with the memory of a boss that we wish we were like and want to emulate. Sometimes we have a dread filled memory that we want to avoid at all costs. It helps to have these two ideas in mind when thinking about the leader that you want to be. The best and the worst memories set up guard rails in our minds to know where we want to fall. It is a wonderful place to start.

My son has dyslexia and an auditory processing disorder. He loved strict teachers that kept the class quiet while they were working. He did not enjoy the background noise of classes that might have overlapping conversations or more informal lessons. Did this mean that strict teachers were better? Was informal teaching bad? Absolutely not! But it did mean his preferred style of teacher was more regulated. He learned to wear headphones and work in the hallway if he needed to.

When you are beginning to learn about leadership you need to begin at a place that feels right for what you are trying to accomplish. In your first 90 days, you might be struggling to figure everything out so you may not have time to catch your breath, let alone figure out a style that works for you. But you will have to learn how you work best and what you need to do to get your work done.

It will be slow, and you can expect mistakes. Trying to obtain perfection will only burn you out. But trying to figure it out will be worth it. I promise!