How to Share: Secrets of Collaborative Leadership

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“The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt

I played on a tennis team when I was in my 20’s. It was a loosely organized group of women who played at the public tennis courts. We were part of a league that created matches with other teams, some of whom were the “fancy” ones who belonged to a club with a pro.

But my team had a secret weapon: our coach, Evan. A quiet-spoken man who seemed to take everything in. He’d meet with us at practice and not only run drills to improve our skills but also strategically position who should play singles versus doubles, and forehand versus backhand.

I don’t remember our records of wins and losses so it probably wasn’t that great. But I know we got better as a team and also as individuals. It was largely because of Evan. He could see our strengths and vulnerabilities and help us position them to the best advantage.

I was reminded of Coach Evan when I recently talked with John Hernandez, the Director of IT at Leisure Care on the How to Share podcast. John has an incredibly collaborative leadership style and knows how to balance giving people on his team leadership, agency, and backup when needed.

In short, he’s a very good coach for a strong team.

John told me how he landed on this leadership style and how it’s worked as his team and responsibilities have grown. We talked about how people in technology can sometimes be protective of their knowledge and not want to share. And we discussed how AI changes the game for so many people in technology and how to wrangle it as an asset, not a competitor.

I asked John about how he adapts his message for people who are less technical. He brought it back to the power of telling a story and finding key beats, regardless of the topic.

This is a great episode about how leadership, openness, curiosity translates to infectious passion for sharing – and for team building. I know you’ll love it!

Takeaways

  • John emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge to build effective teams.
  • A collaborative leadership style fosters a culture of openness and mentorship.
  • Technology professionals often hoard knowledge due to fear of job security.
  • AI is changing the landscape of IT, enabling more collaboration.
  • Storytelling can help convey complex technical concepts.
  • Creating a supportive environment encourages team members to grow.
  • Passion for technology can be infectious and motivate others.
  • Adapting messages for different audiences is crucial in IT.
  • Building a knowledge-sharing culture can lead to better team dynamics.

Here’s a clip of John describing how he landed on his leadership style:

Here are some ways you can listen and watch this infectiously energizing episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

Secrets of Collaborative Leadership transcript

How to Share Our Luck with Gil Gillenwater – How To Share

In this enlightening conversation, Gil Gillenwater is with host Wynne Leon and shares his experiences and insights from over 35 years of philanthropic work along the US-Mexico border. He discusses his book, 'Hope on the Border,' which highlights the transformative power of education and community service. Gil emphasizes the importance of enlightened self-interest over traditional charity, advocating for a model that empowers individuals and fosters dignity. He explores the duality of poverty, the need for sustainable opportunities, and the joy found in serving others, ultimately presenting a vision for a more connected and compassionate world.TakeawaysEducation is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.Enlightened self-interest can lead to personal and communal growth.Charity should not be viewed as a sacrifice but as a mutual benefit.Volunteering provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment.Welfare can disempower individuals and communities.Community service fosters connections and shared humanity.The disparity in wealth is a significant issue that needs addressing.Experiencing poverty firsthand can change perspectives.Creating opportunities in one's home country can reduce migration.The joy of service is a pathway to personal happiness.Links for this episode:How to Share homeHope on the Border at AmazonGil's organization: Rancho FelizGil Gillenwater on FacebookWynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith; Blog: https://wynneleon.com/; Substack: https://wynneleon930758.substack.com/
  1. How to Share Our Luck with Gil Gillenwater
  2. How to Share 1970's Chicago with Doug. E. Jones
  3. How to Share Feedback with Dr. Vicki Atkinson
  4. How to Share the Next Generation with Mari Sarkisian Wyatt
  5. How to Share Impactfully with Social Media Friends with Amy Weinland Daughters

Links for this episode:

John Hernandez on LinkedIn

40 thoughts on “How to Share: Secrets of Collaborative Leadership”

  1. Excellent, Wynne. I used a simple plumb line, an epitaph: the team cared enough to build leaders of leaders. Those brought onto the leadership team promised to pay forward the opportunity by turning around and doing the same for the next set of leaders. Over the years, we dropped many promises into the still waters, progressing goals, and even though I’ll never know where the ripples stopped, I can’t help but smile.

    Liked by 3 people

  2. Love John’s point about the importance of connecting with others and being watchful for those moments when a glazed-over look arrives, signaling that the speaker/teacher/trainer/consultant needs to pivot and adjust the message rather than plowing onward. So important! Thank you both so much, Wynne! 😉❤️😉

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I love that you highlight that point, Vicki. I know you did that as an educator – and now speaker! Connecting with others matter so much, doesn’t it? Thanks for tuning in, my dear friend!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I’ll definitely need to give this one a listen. What you describe in Evan and John is the ultimate leader. It’s rare to find but once people do, they are often fiercely loyal. Also, that Roosevelt quote is so good!

    Liked by 1 person

  5. “But I know we got better as a team and also as individuals.” This sentence really stuck out to me Wynne. Maybe it’s the strange mood I’m in today or maybe just because it’s a Wednesday. But it seems especially wise. Makes me wish that more of life was like this. Our team got better and met its goal. And we as individuals got better too. Hmm, sounds pretty good to me.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. I’ve been very blessed with a few amazing bosses. Of course, I’ve also experienced some abysmal ones, but thankfully they’re in the past.

    AI is taking Tech like wildfire. Unfortunately, the climate cost to our communities is huge, for the data centers consume vast quantities of water and electricity, while not contributing significantly to local job markets.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I guess I never really thought about AI helping humans (by taking away time-consuming tasks) so that they have time to actually strengthen human/employee interaction; give space for new ideas, etc. I just always focused on deteriorating relationships among staff because they aren’t needed. Thought-provoking! Thanks, Wynne.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think there are plenty of ways that AI can play out and that’s one of the hopeful/helpful ones! Thank you so much for listening, Melanie. I love getting your take on things!

      Liked by 1 person

  10. I can appreciate John’s emphasis on sharing knowledge. In professional settings, people can feel overly competitive and want to keep everything they know to themselves. It makes them the expert and seems to give them job security. But appropriate sharing of knowledge is important to get projects successfully completed.
    And to fit knowledge-sharing in loosely with the blogging community, there are so many wonderful people who share what they know to overcome difficulties, to make lives better… It’s been a fantastic place to learn and grow.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You are so right about the blogging community – it really is a generous place. I’m so grateful for that! And I agree with your take about professional settings. I think it takes a leader like John to help downplay the competition. Thanks for the great comment!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. I’ve worked for many bosses throughout my lifetime. The best ones had the special ability to make each team member feel valued and that their opinions mattered. The worst bosses were those on some kind of power trip who tried to intimidate their coworkers through fear.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Wonderful conversation, Wynne. John seems like the kind of leader needed in IT – one who recognizes it’s about the human connections not machines that drive collaboration, growth and success, especially in the age of AI.

    IT departments can often be so silo-ed and misunderstood in organizations and taking a collaborative approach, with consistent and clear communication, is what drives effective IT teams and success.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. this was great, I so needed an IT leader like this, would have really helped me to gain confidence in this area, my eternal weak point. great interview –

    Like

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