👩💼👨💼 Leaders Letters 176 - Superpower & Kryptonite
Do You Know Your Leadership Superpower
Dear leaders, do you know your superpower as a leader?
On the flip side: Do you know your kryptonite? (The “substance” or actions that cause you to become weak when you are exposed to them)
Why? This is one of the go-to questions I like to ask in interviews and when I meet fellow leaders or onboard a new leader onto a project, a leadership team, a consultancy gig or when I start coaching.
You can learn a lot about someone by their own answer(s) and if required from the people around them.
Knowing your (work) superpower is one of the best self-awareness hacks when looking to evaluate yourself, your recent performance, looking to empower others or when looking at a new role.
It’s not up for me to judge superpowers or answers for kryptonite, however, I love seeing how people talk about their (super)powers and how they can light up and apply them to issues you might be experiencing. A person who has a superpower of problem-solving will light up when you bring up a problem and they’ll happily drive in without any ask for help.
I wanted to share fifteen superpowers that have been shared with me over the last ten years through conversations or through coaching onboarding (with consent of course) and see if they resonate with you specifically or help you select your superpower.
Superpowers
“GSD” - Getting 💩 done
Being able to break through the creative barrier
Prioritisation → driving the business priorities
Time management and teaching others time management hacks
Reducing combat → conflict and conflict → alignment
Ability to communicate bad news
Complex problem solver
Speaking the language of the business floor
Learn from every failure and able to teach everyone around me how to avoid that failure again
Reducing team anxiety around department goals
Knowing I am not an expert in everything but can surround myself with experts and ‘learn it all’s’
“Learning. Always” (this is from one of my favourite former colleagues and they learned constantly - their Microsoft OneNote likely competes with my 7111 notes I have currently)
Remove CAN’T (from the team vocabulary)
Embracing new challenges
Being prepared — for anything
Your Own Superpower & The Superpower You Are Told
The superpower I believe I have is being a translator throughout a business and between the leadership (the example is being able to explain technical problems or solutions to non-technical people)
The superpower I have been told I have is being able to remain calm when in the middle of a corporate storm or something big is happening and communicating the issue, breaking it down and then pushing forward on the required actions.
Kryptonite
On the flip side, here are 5 pieces of kryptonite that might help you connect further or understand what others kryptonite is.
“Energy is drained quickly when surrounded by negative team members”
“I’m always overly prepared, if it doesn’t go to plan - I struggle to adapt”
“Repeating myself - feel it draining and the worst part of leadership”
“Data - often cannot see through when data could be wrong or driving us in the wrong direction”
“Knowing people will want to leave my company”
I know my kryptonite is people who can only see the short term, this drains me quickly and all I have experienced is this short-term only mindset negatively impacts those around them, especially in leadership roles.
This week’s focus item is to identify your own superpower and kryptonite and work out whether you need to work on your kryptonite or know this is just something that isn’t hindering your performance.
Have a great week!
Danny Denhard