A story about a leader who made me cry

Happy Wednesday! 💁‍♀️

Have your leaders made you cry at work? I have and here’s a story of how we turned it around:

There is this leader I look up to at work. She provided me plenty of opportunities and guidance. She also had very high expectations.

But things were not all smooth. Six months into our working relationship, I had some teary nights and the thought of leaving surfaced.

She said to me: “Joping, you need to have some self-belief.” It was heart-wrenching. All I did was give her what I thought she wanted. 

In my attempt to live up to the expectations, I started to wait for instructions so I could follow what she wanted to a tee. I also overthink my plans and stumble on my words if I didn’t see an agreeable facial expression.

One day, she started our syncs with “What can I do to help you?” I’ve never been asked that question before. I was skeptical but I could list down 5 things quickly.

From then on, she asked more questions than gave answers. I didn’t mind. As time when on, I started to build conviction in my own thoughts and plans. And that was the singular most impactful change she had done for me.

I remain grateful that she also had the courage to change course in her approach.

From that day, I also believed that all leaders should be equipped with this ability to stay curious.

Like my story above, if you are looking for

👉 a curiosity-led approach to your challenges

👉 a retribution-free zone to express how you *really* feel

👉 accountability to action

Hit reply to chat with me!