VIA View: Leader Unlocked by Lynn Scott
When I heard Lynn Scott was writing a leadership book there was no doubt I’d be buying it. Lynn has been a real catalyst in my career journey – both for leadership and my move into learning & development. One day I’ll share the story of how she used a rug to change my whole perspective, but we’ll save that for another time!
“Leader unlocked” embodies all that I love about Lynn’s approach. It has authority without ego, and practical exercises that don’t feel like homework. I made my way through each chapter and thought it was simply great for leaders and knew I’d be sharing it in my leadership training sessions.
But then just as I was part way through writing a post about Lynn’s book, a funny thing happened. I got a new role at work and my own leadership has been put under sharper focus. So, what did I do? I read it again. This time taking it all in whilst thinking about what I needed to do to unlock the best leadership version of myself. And the impact was just what I needed it to be. It gave me insight into where I needed to focus, alongside awareness of what I needed to continue. And I will carry on using this book as my guide throughout year 1 in my new role.
So now I’m sharing my key takeaways both because I think they’re great learnings and it can count as a written commitment from me to keep me accountable!
One thing I have been aware of for years, and done near to nothing about, is that I can be quite pacey in my communication. I can speak too fast and be impatient to get my point across. I don’t think it does me any favours. But Lynn includes a section about the symphony of voice and breath which resonated and gave me something I could focus on. The difference between a hastily verbalised comment and one where the speaker pauses to create impact is no small thing. It allows for important messages to land, be processed, and then for the next point to land too. Since reading this chapter I have started to notice when I’m speaking fast and am trying to deliberately think more about ‘pauses’.
Despite the above, decision making is something I have often dragged out too long. When under time pressure I make decisions quickly and comfortably but given the option I’ll always take my time. This spills over into personal life too. Purchases are often the result of many hours of researching and reading reviews. What’s more I pride myself in this. “My decisions are well thought through and there will be no hasty decision on my watch leading to disaster later on”. But actually, is this the case? Even with all this effort you can’t always be sure you’re making the ‘right’ decision. I remember watching a 10minute video on the pareto principle years ago where someone draws a car. As the minutes tick away the drawing becomes increasingly detailed and the end result is perfect. But then the question pops up “at what point did you decide whether or not you wanted to buy the car?” Typically, it was around the 2minute mark. The remaining 8 minutes may have enhanced the image, but it just reinforced the decision already made. Lynn’s approach starts with listening to your intuition and being mindful of biases but… puts a time limit on the decision. This has been working really well for me for 2 reasons – yes it stops the prolonged deliberation, but I also hate missing a deadline! It’s another example of how this book has made me face up to where I needed to make changes, and then actually do something about them!
The concept of “Future You” is one I was familiar with. It’s so much better than the classic “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” interview question. My “Future Rach” has been gradually evolving since I started focusing on personal development. I’m quite a driven character and committing to making changes to create the future I want is in now embedded in my DNA! So, I’ll admit I started reading this chapter feeling like I was already in a good space. But Lynn has a way of stopping me in my tracks and it was this question that did it. “When thinking about future you…in what ways do you feel valued and cared for?” I vividly remember reading this on my commute. I put down the book and thought about this single question for the rest of the journey. “Future Rach” has often been created through personal quests. I prefer studying alone to in groups for example. I typically measure success based on actions and outputs. But feeling valued and cared for isn’t something I have given much thought. And yet it has become increasingly important to me. I also want it to be a mark of my own leadership making sure I don’t just feel like I value and care about others but actively show this. Another of Lynn’s tips is around people not seeing your intent but seeing your actions. Both for myself and outwardly to others, this is going to be a big focus for me this year.
There are many more points I could share, but these areas really resonated for me. Because I know Lynn personally, I wondered whether the book would have the same impact as she does in person. But Leader Unlocked is no ‘watered down’ version of the real thing! Of course it is different, but it’s no less powerful and being able to pace the reading and activities turned out to be just what I needed as I moved roles.
I hope this book is read by many as it is both practical and supportive. A big thank you to Lynn for ‘stepping off a rug’ and sharing her approach with the world!
