It's the moments that make us

Here's one of mine

Early in my career, I was called in to a strategy session. The other three leaders in the room, one of whom was an external consultant, all had much more experience than I did. I was there to take notes.

The meeting started out ok but eventually it became clear that they were talking in circles. Each of them had a different agenda, and no one was listening to anyone else.

The discussion became more heated as people grew frustrated and impatient with one another. No one felt heard by anyone else.

But I heard them.

I stood up, went to the whiteboard and drew a diagram that incorporated what I was hearing from each of them into one multi-dimensional, phased approach. They stopped talking as they saw me drawing. It took me a minute to walk them through the approach, and then there was another minute of silence before the CEO said, "Well, that's it. We have our strategy."

Years later, I ran into that consultant and he said, "I still remember that time you didn't say a word but delivered this incredible strategy on a whiteboard when none of the rest of us could see straight."

That was the day I became a leader. I've been listening ever since.

When did you become a leader? What skill or trait made that shift possible? Do you still lead from that place today?