Lessons in IT Transformation: Technology Expert to Business Leader

Who Do I Need to Communicate With?

I have seen many so-called leaders only make the time and effort to communicate with those who they feel can do something for them. Let me share a story with you. I once worked with an executive we'll call Ed. Ed was a bright man. However, Ed was only interested in Ed. Ed was interested in forwarding his own agenda. The amount of time, consideration, and kindness he would show a person was based solely by the number of “stripes” the person had on the shoulder of his uniform. One day, Ed saw me speaking with Jim, the person who delivered our interoffice mail. Jim was a very pleasant gentleman who had a developmental disability. In spite of this challenge, he held a job, was gracious to people, and was a positive contributor to society. He and I developed a relationship over time, and I found that he always brightened my day when he came to visit and deliver the mail. After one of my encounters with him, Ed came to talk to me. He shared with me that he couldn't understand why I would “waste my time” talking to this person who obviously couldn't help me in any way. I was flabbergasted by this comment! At the risk of coming across as holier than thou, I believe that all of us add value and are important. Since I genuinely believe this, hopefully it comes across to the people I interact with. Unfortunately for Ed, so do his feelings! If you buy into my premise that leadership is about influence and positively impacting other people's lives, then who ...