Leading a team of Superheroes- the Honor of a lifetime
In the corner of my home office hangs a very special photo (ok part photo/part famous characters) of a very special team. It’s the Superhero team of Service Management leaders that I led for 10 years at a large health system I worked at. This photo has special significance to me as it was gifted to me by the 5 members (superheroes) surrounding the center figure- me. Here’s the story.
When I was asked to start the Service Management office at that institution, I didn’t know it would be the opportunity to be a mega change agent and the journey of a lifetime as a leader. Little did I know what I was signing up for when I was tasked with changing the culture of IT to be customer-centric. Many of the experiences I encountered there I’ve written about in various articles over the years, so I won’t delve into the journey itself. What I do want to share is what it meant to gather and work with a team of superhero leaders.
Ever since I learned from reading about leadership that it was “Influence, nothing more and nothing less,” I’ve been on a mission to continuously apply that objective in everything I do. The pearls of wisdom I gathered over time were many.
Think of the Platinum rule, not the Golden rule
Learning early to treat people as they want to be treated (and not as you’d want to be treated) was a very difficult lesson. Since we’re all different, we can’t all necessarily want the same things. Why then assume that we would all want to be treated differently. Taking the time to get to know people very early on, from spending ample time during the interview process, to taking painstaking lengths in their onboarding, to working closely with them as they engaged in their new roles- all these activities allowed me to learn my people, on both a personal and professional level. Both matter deeply.
Psychological Safety is non-negotiable
As I hired team member after team member, it was imperative that everyone felt safe to be themselves fully, everywhere and all the time. That meant being transparent and vulnerable together as a team and working hard not only to earn the trust with one another, but to also keep it. There were no two versions of any of us (one for home and one for work); we brought the same personality with us everywhere. When something didn’t feel right, we read each other’s body language, we held space for one another to air concerns and differences. In short, we were clear with one another, which made it easier to execute fully.
Diversity isn’t optional, it’s a differentiator
One of the most valuable elements of this team was the fact that we all had different areas of strengths. Sure, there were some that we had in common (especially that we were all wired around customer experience and customer service) however each member had at least one or two skills that they excelled in above the others, and we valued that differentiation. Knowing who to go to for deep-dive analytics, who would be the best presenter, who had the best negotiating posture, and who could diffuse just about any conflict was a true enabler to the team, and ultimately to the organization. I knew I could lean on different team members for specific strengths and that the whole team would be in alignment (and not jealous) because that team member got selected for the task or initiative.
Humility and Humor need to be key ingredients
Despite how difficult our mission was and the many truly grueling projects we worked on, we knew how to stay humble when we did great work, and we kept each other in check. Keeping the spirit of celebration in our DNA helped us have moments of pride that we quickly celebrated but didn’t linger to gloat or brag about the accomplishment. We also found humor to be a great release valve, never taking ourselves too seriously, and laughing through awkward and unusual situations. I was the queen of “really good bad ideas” and they knew to “never tell me where the dead bodies are buried.”
Empathy is the secret sauce
While we worked together at an intense pace, one of the most beautiful things I got to witness was the level of empathy present in this team. Beyond emotional intelligence, there was a fundamental level of caring for each other, for the staff they lead, and without a doubt for others they worked with and supported. Despite how hard things would get, we would choose to think of the world through the lens of others and show up for them in a human way. That made all the difference.
Superheroes and Superpowers
I recall how we celebrated customer service week for many years, and one of the themed days was Superhero day. Over time, as we got to know each other, we started to see specific superhero qualities in each team member. One team member for example, was extremely fast in how he moved, practically transporting himself from campus to campus in minutes. We would joke about how he was bulletproof and had an uncanny ability to see things others didn’t- hence he was our Superman. Another team member had a very strong, decisive personality, geared to problem solving and putting the team before self. He was also an army man, with a ton of dedication not only to his country but also to the police force. Naturally he was our Captain America. Yet another team member had a clever and creative tactical approach to planning. He was a six-sigma black belt, with a superior ability to analyze, simplify and transact in a behind-the-scenes method, cohesively bringing contributors together. This made him our Batman. A soothing and gentle spirit, another team member could negotiate through and diffuse the most difficult conflict situations. She had a healing presence and a high degree of both emotional intelligence as well as tenacity. She got donned our Black Widow. The last of our team members had skillful fighting techniques, and the ability to put together a master plan to attack any technical and business problem. She had agility and resourcefulness in spades, and displayed speed as well as mastery in execution. She was our Cat woman.
Along the way, and I’m not certain if it was just that I had red velvet boots, a red moto jacket, a navy skirt with a gold belt, my long flowy hair, or my tendency to bring about wonder with this amazing team- I got called Wonder Woman. Though I enjoyed watching her show when I was young, I learned more from my team of what they valued about her; strength, speed, invulnerability, and healing powers. Overtime, I came to appreciate their compliments in that light, acknowledging that it is ok to step into our superpowers, in fact we should all do this.
I shared this very personal tale of the superheroes of IT leaders that I once worked with because I want to acknowledge how much that meant and means to me. Working alongside amazing talent is so invigorating; it charges you every day, and gives you the strength to accomplish the most amazing things. Truly it has been the honor of a lifetime to work with these giants, and I encourage you to tease out the superheroes in each member on your team, as they are definitely there and waiting. And if you aren’t certain which superhero they are, just ask them this, “What do you think your superpower is?” Then let the magic happen before you.
Leading a Team of Superheroes - The Honor of a Lifetime" is a reflection on my incredible journey with a standout Service Management team. I share insights about the unique strengths each member brought to our mission and how their 'superpowers' made a difference. This article is a tribute to their talent, teamwork, and the profound impact they had on me. I hope it resonates with you and encourages you to see the superheroes in your own team.
