What my team teaches me ~ Tommy Middaugh

Managing small and large teams is one of the most rewarding challenges I’ve faced in my professional life. It’s given me the opportunity to become a better leader and a better person. But as important as leadership can be in our world, few people realize the efforts it takes to become an effective leader.

 

Most people tend to manage their employees’ performance at the expense of their professional development. I strongly believe it is my responsibility to provide my team with an environment that enables them to learn new skills and grow. To me, a good leader is a mentor, someone who behaves as a role model, shares his knowledge, encourages continuous learning, and provides constructive feedback. In return, I listen to my team’s suggestions, I ask for advice and I adjust my management style. My goal is to learn as much as my team does. That’s why I’m so thankful my team introduced me to social media and showed me new ways to reach people’s lives and spread more good around the world. You can follow me on Twitter @TravelToGoTommy.

 

I’d like to share this TED Talk video by Itay Talgum, a great orchestra conductor of our times. Talgum observes the styles of several famous conductors of the 20^th century to illustrate what leadership and management skills can get the most out of a team. Once you picture your company as an orchestra it can help you understand how you can behave to create a beautiful symphony. As Itay Talgum says, “[a conductor's] happiness does not come from only his own story and his joy of the music. The joy is about enabling other people's stories to be heard at the same time.”