It’s the holiday season, and I love this time of year. It’s a time for reflection and a time of anticipation for what lies ahead. As I reflect on this past year, I was challenged to become more teachable. I heard someone say that if you aren’t teachable as a leader, you don’t need to lead. That sucker came home to roost for me when my husband joined the Pamela J. Green Solutions team. He’s a highly talented leader with a master’s degree in business, great customer service skills, and so very engaging. But we agreed years ago that working together would not be good for our marriage. Now, recently celebrating 30 years of marriage, we thought we were mature enough to work it out and work it out we have.
My business plate had turned into a platter, and I just couldn’t keep up with managing business growth and doing the work at the same time, so here comes hubs fresh off of another contract with available time and more than 20 years of customer service and sales experience in hand. Perfect timing? Maybe. We discussed my need for support and how his expertise perfectly matched my business, but what about our marriage? Would it, could it survive us working together?
That’s where the teachable part comes in. Was I a teachable leader? Could I learn how to make space for my very talented husband to help me steer this gigantic ship? Yes, but not without help. So, we engaged a therapist to help us work through potential boundary issues. It’s in the comfort of that space that I learned how to humble myself. I felt a pinch when I admitted that I didn’t know everything but felt supported when I knew asking for help from my husband didn’t diminish me in his eyes. It also called for me to be more self-aware, to let go, and to trust that he was fully capable of getting our business child to and from school without any major hiccups.
What a relief it has been. It’s not perfect; we’ve had to establish boundaries, and I had to realize I wasn’t the boss 24/7 (think Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip – and smile). Being teachable has helped keep me level-headed and reminded me how important it is to empower people and release them into what Simon T. Bailey refers to as their brilliance.
So, what lies ahead for me? I’m getting a huge sign that faces my desk and reads, “Remember: you’ve got people for that.” See, I, too, can be teachable; I just might need a reminder every now and then.
Here’s to my goal of supporting more leaders in 2024 who realize the power of being teachable.
Pam
