Vol 4: Leading with thoughtfulness
A few years ago, if you would have asked me if I’m a thoughtful person, I would have said yes. I’m someone who wants to think things through and understand them. I enjoy researching new topics. I love solving problems. So yeah, I thought I was thoughtful.
Then I met Daniel, someone who redefined what thoughtfulness means to me.
Daniel was someone I managed for awhile. We were working as content designers—people who use words and other types of content to design software experiences.
Initially, we connected over a love for tea, a passion for writing, and a desire to do good things for the people around us. However, I started to notice Daniel’s deep thinking, and I began to learn so much from him.
One of the first things I picked up on is that Daniel would create space to think. He would talk about easing into his morning (if he could), taking time to notice what was going on around him, and enjoying a cup of tea. He taught the team a writing practice where you write with no goal in mind—a wild exercise when you do it for a living. He cultivated thoughtfulness throughout his whole life. We were just seeing how it came out at work.
At work, Daniel would spend lots of time deeply absorbing and understanding the space he was working in. He wouldn’t just read research, he’d ask questions about it so he could dig in and make connections to his own work. He made an effort to learn about what was happening outside of his team and apply that knowledge to the area he was focusing on. He was someone other people sought out for advice and counsel. He was incredibly valued by the teams who worked alongside him. And while he didn’t manage anyone or have a high rank, he was an amazing leader.
To me, that’s the awesome thing about looking at the unique ways leadership can happen. It’s not a single, one-dimensional thing. Different people have their own values and ways of moving through life that affect how they lead. A harmful environment teaches them to shut that down and be whatever the environment defines as a "good leader," but a healthy one drives them to embrace it.
Daniel embraced his thoughtfulness, and was able to accomplish so much because of it. Maybe, if you’re up for it, you can try spending a little time just thinking today. Who knows? Maybe you’ll discover something new.
Real leaders: Louisa Olushoga
Each month, I ask a leader in my own life to share who they are and what leadership means to them.
Louisa describes herself as a mental health advocate who enjoys building relationships and feels most restored when spending time with people.
Here's how Louisa thinks about leadership, in her own words:
It’s hard for me to think of myself as a leader, for whatever reason, but if someone were to say that I’m a leader, I’d want them to say that I really got in there with them. What I mean by that is that there is no barrier to helping them. There’s nothing that’s too below me. Day-to-day, I work to have really good relationships with people and learn from them. I feel like a good leader learns from the people around them. There’s nothing that says if you’re a leader you know a lot because of your position. I learn from my kids every single day, and even though I have a parental authority, I want them to see that I’m in this with them, that there’s no limit to who I can be for them.
Thanks, Louisa.