Moving beyond Management to Leadership

One of the things that first drew me to the organization I work for is its commitment to taking a person-centered approach to everything they do. A person-centered approach focuses care on the needs of each individual. It ensures people's preferences, needs, and values guide decisions and provides respectful care that is responsive to the individual. I thought, This is a work culture I will thrive in and a leadership model I can really get behind.

Since we are an organization that exists to serve people with developmental disabilities and their families, this approach is a vital part of the way our program staff cares for our participants, not only as they participate in our programs, but also in their lives outside of our organization. This standard of care builds trust and self-confidence and encourages participants to practice agency over their lives. 

I am amazed by our staff and the life-affirming work they accomplish daily. My role is to lead the team of passionate folks raising vital funds so the organizations can keep serving our participants and their families. We apply a person-centered approach in my department too. What does a person-centered philosophy look like in executive leadership?

“People-Centered Leadership means knowing how to lead people versus manage people.” Corey Jamison, PhD.

I have always been a bit of a nerd when it comes to the study of leadership and once took a class in graduate school titled, The Leader as a Person. While it’s been many years, the ingrained takeaways are that the greatest strengths a leader demonstrates come from their personal strengths and from their weaknesses, and how leveraging both empowers those they lead.

Candidly, my team knows all too well the things I don’t do well, and while it is sometimes hard to let go, if I allow others to compensate for my weaknesses, thus complementing our partnership, it opens space for me to operate from my strengths. In so doing, all parties excel.

Qualities of Person-Centered Leadership:

• Know the individuals on your team. When I first started in my current role, my team and I spent some time learning about each other as individuals to foster team cohesion. We discussed many things, such as our preferred communication methods and the work-related tasks we most enjoy, as well as those we don’t. I asked questions of my direct reports about their professional dreams and what they saw as the next steps in their careers. Knowing more about them and their preferences allowed me to (as much as possible) redesign their roles in a manner in which they could thrive.
• Be your team members’ biggest cheerleader. Encourage team members early and often, and even when there is an issue that must be addressed, assume positive intent. It’s better to assume the best and be proven wrong than the other way around. While it may feel tricky, you can do this without getting taken advantage of by being clear with expectations and policies and addressing things head-on, in the moment, to reduce confusion or a temptation to bend the rules.
• Know why you're doing what you’re doing. While this significantly resonates with me as a nonprofit leader, as measuring mission impact is a metric of our success. I believe this is applicable in the private sector as well. When you invest the time to cast a vision for your team about the “why” behind the task at hand, it garners a better and more complete result—more buy-in. When people understand why their work matters, they feel more connected and significant. Respect your team members enough to paint the full picture. They are more than just cogs in a wheel.

I am proud and grateful to be a part of an inclusive work culture where all voices feel heard and valued. As leaders, we must never lose sight of how people are the single most valuable asset to any organization. Working with others will always be messy but there are few things more rewarding than watching those you lead thrive in their roles, knowing you met them where they were and created a space that empowered them to show up and reach their fullest potential.