To Be, Or Not To Be, Important

To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them.

The soliloquy from Shakespeare’s Hamlet has the titular character consider what course of action to take, fight the hardships that are currently besieging him or take a different way out.

He knows the other way out is certain but not what lies on the other side of that certainty.

What does his choice have to do with you being a leader? You get the choice of being important or feeling like it, and one sacrifices the other.

Important

You have worked your arse off, shown skill, talent, and perseverance to make it to the top. You are in charge of a business, team, group, or cohort.

You are the biggest swinging dick in the room, you get paid the most, you make the final decision, and everyone knows it.

So you are saying to yourself that you are both important and you should be made to feel important.

The irony is that it doesn’t work like that.

Feelings

If you want to be made to feel important, you are putting your needs, specifically your ego, above those of the team.

You aren’t working towards a positive team outcome, you are working towards being told you are amazing.

When you are in charge and you want your arse kissed, you will get it. And that’s be honest, it will feel good. Your ego getting stroked is a nice place to be, however, like a rocking chair, it won’t get you anywhere.

Being Important

The opposite of getting your arse kissed is making other people better.

It is also having people challenge your decisions and your thought process.

This is not a bad thing. There should be healthy conflict within teams.

It is using your position to put the spotlight on others, to champion and cherish those around you that will strengthen your team.

It is helping them be better than what they thought they could be.

What You Should Strive For

The irony is that you are a better leader, and therefore more important, when you make others feel important.

The team has better outcomes by having challenging conversations and coming up with more inventive solutions

Or….

You can feel important by having everyone tell you how great you are.

To be, or not to be, important, is entirely up to you.