Build Your Own Leadership Playbook
There's an old concept in leadership circles that you learn just as much from bad leaders as you do from good ones.
That line of thinking exists because there are far more examples of "bad" leadership in the workplace to observe. We, as in the general workforce, don’t do a great job of training and preparing leaders. So most of us learn from our bosses and the leaders around us. Unfortunately, most of them were also not trained. What we're left with is a collection of ill-informed leadership behaviors that serve as the default because nobody ever taught any of us any better.
So the concept of a leadership playbook is an intentional way to combat that trend. Some may refer to this as a leadership journal or lessons log. Whatever you call it, the idea is to capture both ideal and non-ideal behaviors that you observe from other leaders as you develop your own approach to leadership.
This tool is specifically helpful for new and aspiring managers; however, I still keep my own playbook as a documented reminder of how I want to show up as a leader.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that this playbook is meant to be highly individualized for you. We all have our own values, strengths and blind spots with which we operate. What works for some won't work for others. Today, I'll be sharing my own preferences to illustrate an example of what a playbook might look like; however, the guidance below are considerations towards building something that you'll find value in.
Intent
Determining your intent will help you with the rest of these decisions. For me, I'm only trying to capture lasting leadership lessons. I'm not reflecting on the minutiae of the day. I think about my playbook as a guide for who I want to be as a leader. While this can shift over time, it's far from volatile.
The easiest personal example is the idea that "relationships drive results." It's the basis for my entire leadership philosophy; however, it's not one I started with. I learned this firsthand by observing what was working and not working for both myself and other leaders.
What to capture
Whatever your approach, I recommend capturing both the good and the bad.
Identifying the ways you DON'T want to show up as a leader will help eliminate certain approaches. This adds clarity towards how you do want to show up. Capturing both is also helpful for identifying and addressing contradictions. One of the most fascinating aspects of leadership is finding balance in the tensions of opposing forces. Reconciling those tensions will go a long way towards helping you shape the type of leader you want to be.
Not treating employees like children is an example of what not to do from my personal playbook. It may seem obvious, but there are some real paternal tendencies in management that discount the autonomy and ability of working professionals.
With that said, you don't want this to be a grievance log and I also don't recommend tying names to behaviors. I recommend a majority of the entries be focused on the behaviors you want to emulate with the occasional call-out of what to avoid and why. Leaving the leadership "don'ts" anonymous also keeps the focus on the behavior and not a specific person.
Input frequency
Knowing your intent will help you to determine your frequency. I've heard some leaders suggest this as a daily or weekly practice. For my purposes, that's far too often. I'd end up with hundreds of items, most of which would be reactions to daily circumstances as opposed to a leadership north star. I've always added to my playbook on an as-needed basis but even during my most frequent updates it was every few weeks or so.
My frequency has also changed over time. I was fortunate enough to have an early mentor who suggested I start this exercise early. When I started my leadership journey, my lessons were much more frequent. Over the past couple decades, I've had the opportunity to hone the type of leader I want to be. I'm far from perfect and certainly still add or edit my playbook. But the entries are less frequent than they used to be.
Format
Do you go hard copy or digital? Physically writing things has been shown to improve retention but digital is certainly easier.
While I take most of my meeting notes in a physical notebook, I keep my playbook digital. This allows me to capture the best of both worlds. I write down these powerful leadership lessons in my physical notebook while I'm out in the world. The ones that stick get transcribed to my digital file. Of course, even this has its own downside…as I'm spending time transcribing. Since my lessons are less frequent, it's very little time wasted.
Review frequency
This exercise is almost useless if you don't review your playbook regularly. This review serves two purposes. First, it allows you to determine whether the ideal leadership behaviors that you've mapped for yourself still hold true. Second, it allows you to reflect on whether you are truly living those behaviors.
Again, the frequency may change over time. When I was a less experienced manager I would review my playbook monthly if not more. These days, I make a point to review it at least quarterly.
This Week's Action Items:
Create your leadership playbook today, using either a notebook or digital file.
Write down your intended use of this playbook as your first entry and a reminder to how it will serve your needs.
Write down at least one ideal and non-ideal leadership behavior that inform your preferred way of leading.
Schedule time on your calendar to review your playbook at a set frequency to help keep you on track.
