In the early part of most of our careers, I think it’s fair to say we are consumed with being achievement junkies.

As many of us start to ascend to leadership positions, signs of dysfunction begin to peek through when we become hyper-focused on success, even at the expense of the team’s happiness.

It happened to me. Thankfully, in a twist of fate, my competitiveness spurred my interest to run a half-marathon. I enrolled, and suggested we make it a company-wide challenge to sign up.

Suddenly, I began to care about the team’s morale. I wanted to lead from the front. I hosted lunchtime and after-work runs, provided pseudo-coaching tips, and even obtained approval from management to install a gym at the office. It was a huge success. But even more importantly, I noticed a gradual shift in my leadership style.

The less I focused on my own wins and celebrated those of the team, the more success I achieved at work. I had transformed into a better version of a leader in the phase of four years.

When your personal achievement becomes secondary to that of the team, everything changes. If you can learn to invest in your team, you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish.

Photography by: Mike/Pexels