• BUSINESS
3 key leadership lessons I learnt from hanging out with President Obama for the day… By Gry Tømte
Last year, I had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet a leadership giant, President Obama. This wasn’t just another Tuesday – it was a standout moment in my life’s highlight reel. Yep, that’s me in the picture with the man himself. My mum wanted to frame it by the way! So, there I was. Slightly sweaty hands and racing heart. As I nervously shook his hand, in an instant I forgot all the cool things I was planning on saying - and barely managed to squeak “Nice to meet you, Mr. President.”
He thrives in these moments because he understands that there’s always going to be a good choice and a lesser choice. And often it’s a 51-49 split which way it goes. His reminder to himself is that “the decisions I have to make are difficult by virtue because the outcomes always have consequences”. And he continued “Often there are great arguments to be made for either choice - and neither is necessarily wrong”. Ans whichever decision he makes it will always be the best decision he can make based on the information available at the time.
Talk about surreal…
So, then the question becomes - how do we make sure we have as many angles covered in the information gathering?
President Obama, with his combo of humility, intelligence, poise, and practicality, had me eager to soak up all his wisdom on leadership. And he didn’t; disappoint.
And this is where the good stuff is…. The way he worked through decisions was quite simple and yet quite a profound awakening for me:
And today I want to share some of the key messages I picked up:
1. Any decision made will always be based on the best data available at the time. And that’s the best anyone can do. 2. To get the best data available, he surrounds himself with a team of “non group thinkers” - a diverse team of people who aren’t afraid to speak up, challenge the status quo, and let their different viewpoints be known.
Hire challengers - not cheerleaders. If you’re a business owner, responsible for the lives and well-being of many (including yourself and your family…) you’ve probably realised that decision making can feel like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Every call seems like a make-or-break moment, especially when you’re responsible for a business. Weighing up pros and cons, self-doubt, fear of making the wrong call… So, I was really intrigued to see how the President thought of these pressures. After all, the kinds of decisions he made could have meant the difference between war and peace. Literally…. Not all that surprisingly, President Obama said he is actually his very best under pressure. He has an ability to stay calm and focused during high pressure situations. He had me even more intrigued. This was the stuff! I discovered his secret sauce for decisionmaking under pressure - and, spoiler alert, it’s not just his “Obama NoDrama” vibe - his ACTUAL nickname by the way!
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Which means the likelihood of missing an important viewpoint is as small as it can possibly be. Wowser! I mean, how often have you felt that a decision weighs on you alone? And you “forget” to consult with a broad cross section of people with different perspectives - which means you miss several crucial elements of your decision-making process? I remember a multitude of team meetings when on the few occasions where there were different opinions being voiced, I felt like it was a personal attack! “I’m the boss - how are they so disrespectful!” I was longing for constant consensus and “harmony”. Ummm yes. And then I realised that having no one to challenge your thinking and status quo was hindering us big time!
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It took me a while, but actively seeking continuous feedback from my team was a game changer. It uncovered gaps in our protocols I just couldn’t see from my vantage point. Suddenly, those “annoyances” in the clinic, like “why are they always running late in this one treatment ??” - started to make sense as the diverse perspectives came out, and we could address them effectively. Lesson learned: embracing diverse viewpoints is key to well-rounded decision-making. We need challengers - not cheerleaders… Everyone Deserves a Seat at the Table - It’s on Us as Leaders to Make Room President Obama then dropped another little nugget! “Everyone deserves a seat at the table. It’s up to us as leaders to make room and ensure that everyone has a voice.” Oh! This hit home for me. As leaders, we often fall into the trap of thinking we need to have all the answers. But real leadership is about fostering a culture where differing perspectives are not just heard but valued. It’s about building an environment where being a challenger is seen positively, and everyone, regardless of the “rank” and experience, has a voice and an input. Everyone’s voice carries weight - regardless of position. I could see this in the way Obama interacted with the staff at the venue. There were stories of the cleaners having some great 1-1 conversations, him pranking the photographers and surprising the venue staff. It was pretty clear that he lives and breathes this motto, And one of the reasons it rings so true to me is that through my failings through the years I have made a really conscious effort to adapt the same thinking - with in my business and in my personal life. And I truly believe this is one of the keys to strong leadership. So, how did I start crafting this culture in my business? Well, first we got REALLY clear on our values - including making it safe across the team
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