What's Your Superpower?

Recently, someone was preparing to introduce me to a new team and sent me an email asking, "Would you be able to drop me a couple lines of your superpowers and passion points?" I was floored – I have never been asked that before. It is one of the most concrete examples of exceptional leadership I have seen, so I am sharing in the hope that more people will take such a thoughtful approach. There are a few reasons why this small act was so impactful. 

The request made me think about who I am and how I want to be seen

In the past several years, my role has changed, and I have acquired completely new skill sets. More importantly, *I* have changed. Over time, I have grown to love connecting the dots – between different people within our organization, between seemingly unconnected ideas, and between workstreams to ensure we are operating as a fully integrated organization. Tying things together is one of my greatest strengths. 5 years ago, my answer would have been completely different. Articulating these things for myself helps me recognize and describe where I can add value.

It made me feel valued and respected

"I want to make sure you have a part in writing your script." My boss knows me well and could have written a description of me herself but asking strengthened our relationship and got me off on the right foot as I dive into a new team and new challenges. There is so much value in having a manager who understands what is personally important to each employee and gives individuals a voice in how their story is told. Employees will care more and go the extra mile when a leader demonstrates that their feelings matter.

It gave me a model to follow

In considering my response, I found myself reflecting on the people I respect and whether I might value different things about them than the things that are important to them. Maybe we should be asking these kinds of questions of everyone we work with. Consider a team where instead of talking about who has pets or what we did over the weekend, we ask each other "what's your superpower?" I can't think of a better way to get to know any colleague in a meaningful way very quickly! We can learn so much about each other by talking about what we are passionate about and what our own strengths are.

I am fortunate to have many clear examples of the kind of leader I want to be. I am sure the person who did this had no idea that it would matter so much to me. That's the thing though, isn't it? Most of the time, we have no idea how much the little things we do and decisions we make can affect other people. It is so important to remember that, whether you are leading a team or even just trying to build strong professional relationships.

What do you think? Are there small, specific actions from managers that have made an exponential impact for you? Tell them, tell other people, and most importantly try to pay it forward by giving others that same gift of thoughtful leadership.