Trevor Williams: The Challenges of Learning to Be a Leader
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I am writing this for someone who wants to see what it’s like to become a leader; for the ambitious employee or the rookie intern. The purpose of this article is not to act as a step-by-step manual on how to become a leader in one's field. Instead, the purpose is to express my own discoveries, struggles, and successes when I began my journey as a lead. For context, I have been a lead animator at Steamroller Animation for just under two years. Becoming a leader is a challenge, even more so to become the most effective leader you can be. This process could be different for everyone, but hopefully, you can benefit from my own experiences. At the core of my own journey, I learned a few ideas that when practiced, showed consistent, positive results and ultimately teamwide success. After all, what is a leader without their team?
Use your strengths! It can’t be stressed enough. As an artist or employee, one of the most important things you can do is show what you are good at. Problem-solving and communication were the biggest strengths that kick-started my leadership journey. Taking on challenging tasks and complicated animations was something that improved my own abilities and taught me how to solve common problems swiftly and efficiently. Methods I practiced were shared through the team which proved to benefit artists who had looked to it as a resource. Problem-solving can come in the smallest of ways. Even a slight shift in the way a meeting is operated can have a positive effect in the long run. Often, I found that small improvements have the most compounding effect. Don’t be afraid to share your own solutions to problems you encounter. Another strength I developed was communication. Your co-workers will never be upset about being in the know. This includes online messages, video calls, or in-person. Getting used to talking in front of a team and sharing input was an absolutely essential skill I developed when learning the qualities of leadership. Something important that I will always remind myself of is that being in a position that requires you to talk a lot, means you need to talk with thought. Slow down and be as precise as you can with your language. A method I used to help me overcome my struggle with fast or jumbled speaking is slowing down, taking a breath, and listening. When you want to talk and share your ideas, listening can be one of your most valuable skills. Get the full picture from your team and make a conclusion based on that. When you absorb all the information you can, a solution comes faster and its potency is greater. These strengths helped me countless times and propelled my entry into leadership. That was only the beginning. What comes next will be equally important.
Be confident and accountable. Confidence is essential when leading a team. If your team sees that you are confident in the direction and results they will be too. Imagine two scenarios: your lead gives you a note saying, “Maybe I would try this, maybe that won’t work. I guess you could try to use A to fix B, it might work.” It wouldn’t be very reassuring to hear. The language used was very non-committal. Now imagine the lead saying, “Let's try solution A first. If you're finding it to be a heavy lift, then let's sync up again and brainstorm more.” Simple changes in language can have a huge effect on your perspective. When you sound confident in their work, it will affect the artist or employee's own perception of the tasks ahead of them. The reassurance that if the lead is confident, they should be too. When an artist is confident, I guarantee the result of their work will be the best it can be. When the results of your team are successful, it is an indicator that you are doing something right, which leads to probably the most important lesson I learned as a leader.
Everything your team does is a reflection of you. A lead needs to take accountability when things are not going well and give credit to the artists when things do go well. Think of how you can be of service to the people around you. A good rule of thumb I follow in my daily responsibilities is that if your team does something wrong, so has the lead. When a team member doesn’t follow certain submission times, the problem is often a lack of understanding. As a lead, I found that if I made sure that my artists had all the tools and information presented to them in a clear way, the ball is their court. You can’t micromanage every member of your team, but you can make sure they are well-equipped for the tasks ahead. If the team is doing everything correctly, they deserve the praise and the lead should find ways to improve and innovate. Don’t get too comfortable with satisfaction. Try to solve issues that haven’t surfaced yet, and you will find a consistently smooth road ahead of you. Praise and appreciation will follow the hard work, trust me.
Reflecting back on my time as a lead has been a good way to recognize my own progress which is something I think a lot of people struggle with. Oftentimes, we don’t recognize the value of our own strengths because we are so focused on those around us. Be confident in your strengths and abilities and showcase them. Don’t get too wrapped up in the daily grind that you forget how to appreciate how far you have come or how far your team has come. Take this advice from someone who can struggle with taking a step back and reflecting. It can be a key factor in your success. I am so proud of the environment my team and I have worked to achieve and the growth I have seen in every single member. When your team shows growth and improvement, take a look in the metaphorical mirror and assess your own progress. After all, everything your team does is a reflection of you.
