By Jo

One thing I’m learning as I transition further into leadership is that having a good idea and knowing how to lead are two different things.

It’s perfectly okay to challenge a process. It’s okay to have an innovative thought or believe there’s a faster way to get something done. But eventually, leadership requires you to ask a different question:

Is this better for me, or is this better for us?

When you’re responsible for a team, you can’t only look at the work sitting in front of you. You have to see the entire board.

How does this affect everyone else? Does it create consistency? Does it maintain quality? Have the right people been included? Can the team actually execute it without creating more problems downstream?

Sometimes the fastest solution isn't the best solution.

Sometimes standardization feels restrictive because it doesn't allow you to do things exactly how you want. But standards exist for a reason. They allow multiple people to work toward the same goal without everyone creating their own version of the rules.

And leadership doesn't mean everyone has to agree with you.

It means you can get people aligned enough to move forward—even when they disagree.

That's a completely different skill.

So if you're trying to become a leader, don't just think about how you would solve the problem.

Think about how the team can solve the problem together.

Because leadership isn't about proving your idea is the smartest one in the room.

It's about making sure the entire room can move forward.

See the whole board.

Last week I wrote about treasuring what you have instead of always chasing something new. I think a part of why this is so prevalent is because we are surrounded (mostly digitally) by the entire world. You see a person going to this place or doing that new thing and it looks fun, people get excited about it, and now you’re interested to see what it’s about.

One thing I’ve observed is traditions. That routine activity that family, friends, and people take part in on a regular basis. Some traditions are based in culture while others are activities that are a part of families, friend groups, and individual lives.

What’s great about traditions is they can take place anywhere at any time. It doesn’t have to be an expensive trip somewhere or something that becomes a “status flex.” It can be the simplest of activities, and what matters most is that it holds significance in your life.

There’s a life outside of the digital world of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok where people are enjoying their lives but not sharing it with the world to see.

It doesn’t have to be a fancy trip (well, it can be fancy to you). It could be having a weekly or monthly game night, taking a day or two off work when a new video game releases, going to the movies on release night, heading to your favorite coffee place or restaurant once a month, or watching your favorite movie around a specific time of the year.

Traditions don’t have to be this elaborate production or expense. They can be something very simple that brings you enjoyment in life.

So if there’s an activity or event that you want to make your tradition, go out there and create the first annual whatever-you-want-it-to-be, wherever-you-want-it-to-be tradition — and forget about wasting time comparing your life to others.