I recently took a walk early one morning when there was a gentle, cool breeze, and the sun was shining brightly in a perfectly clear, bright blue sky. As I took in all of the sights, sounds and feelings, I noticed these flower buds in a neighbor's yard which made me think of new beginnings and in that instant the song in the link below came to mind.
I am in the midst of an unexpected job search and recently participated in a virtual workshop where I was asked to write down all my past employment and volunteer positions. As I reviewed the list, what jumped out to me is that I didn’t initially think of my roles, responsibilities, personal or organizational accomplishments, I thought of the people I worked with.
Throughout my career, I have kept a file for particularly meaningful cards, messages and articles, and as I added a few things to that file, I took the time to read through each one. It dawned on me after reading the comments from others that, likewise, they will not remember me for what I did, but rather for who I am because of the way I not only cared for the organization but even more for the people within it.
My dad, Wayne Miller, taught me my first leadership lessons. During several summer breaks while in college, I worked in his office where he was an insurance agency manager. I'm sure I also picked up on other ideas through the years from conversations, even those I just overheard. I had no illusions that management was easy, but despite the frustrations, it was always clear to me that he cared about the people. I also had the good fortune early in my career to work for people like Kenny Mossman, Doug Vance and Cheryl Dillard who I credit for teaching me many of my leadership skills. They had high expectations, but as much, they were supportive and caring and that allowed me to flourish.
For the first time in my career, I truly believe I have great value to offer as a skilled senior executive AND as a flawed human being. I used to think it was “or” not “and" which is why I doubted my value as an imperfect employee and human. Learning that trying to appear perfect was a detriment, not an asset, helped me grow as a leader and a person creating a deeper level of trust in all my relationships. I have learned that authenticity encourages others to open up to me so together we can achieve, learn and experience much more than we could otherwise. While it's natural to have some apprehension with change, I'm happy to report the personal development work I've done these past few years has prepared me for seeing this change as the opportunity it is.
Several months ago, I had a happy hour with four of the first staff members I ever hired. While we've stayed connected in some way, even if only through social media, it had been nearly 20 years since we had all been together as a group. It was fun to catch up, reminisce and laugh a lot. Two of them I hadn't seen in person for well over a decade and the change in me was apparent to them pretty quickly. They began to refer to me as Ginger 2.0 teasing me about where this Ginger was back when they worked for me. Clearly, I was much more relaxed and laughed right along with them wishing I had been this me back then too. But later in the evening, one of them said, "Honestly, you were exactly who I needed back then." She didn't know there were many times after I left that organization where I reflected and beat myself up thinking I had been too rigid, expected too much, set the wrong example by working too many hours, etc. Maybe I was what they all needed and maybe I wasn't, but the fact is I did the best I could with what I knew about leadership and life at the time. Despite the imperfection, though, I have always counted on the fact that my staff knew one thing...I cared about them as people. That has been the one constant with which my life has been lived, my saving grace. I have come to believe it is the value I hold dearest and the one that will be my legacy.
What is the value you hold dearest and what will be your legacy? And considering none of us are perfect, is it your saving grace? If you don't know the answers to these questions, they're worth spending some time contemplating and then considering if you're living in such a way that these are apparent. And if not, your new beginning is only a decision away.
(Saving grace Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster "a redeeming quality or factor")
If you need some prompts to begin thinking, click on this link for a helpful exercise.
If you want to receive an email notice when I publish a new blog, please subscribe today. You can unsubscribe at any time, and I won't share your information with anyone.
#braveenoughtobebliss #mentalhealth #healing #selfcompassion #legacy #human #newbeginnings #imperfection #savinggrace
Comments