09/26/2022

Leadership Skills: Don't be a Boss

Be a changemaker

Companies, communities and, indeed, our world are calling out for a new type of leader. A leader who is resilient, creative, collaborative, and optimistic. A leader who can work across sectors and hierarchies and defies stereotypes and the status quo. A leader who is ready and able to create the future. Gone are the days when a leader should aspire to be a boss --someone who leads by telling others what to do. There's a fresher, more inclusive and aspirational leadership style, and it's accessible to everyone, no matter our formal title or authority. Every one of us can become a changemaker.

A few years ago, I spent a day in Los Angeles, coworking at the offices of Tala, a fintech startup based in Santa Monica, founded by Shivani Siroya. We took a morning walk together, coffees in hand, as the fog melted away and the Pacific Ocean gradually emerged from behind its mask. Shivani told me about her life and her work, and while she talked, it became clear to me that the labels we often use to identify people who are successful in business: entrepreneur, founder and leader, didn't entirely capture who she was. She was each of these to be sure, but also more than these.

During our walk, the concept of a changemaker came alive to me. Just as I saw these qualities in Shivani, I began to recognize how they also show up in so many other people all around me, even those who might not yet consider themselves changemakers.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Inc.