By JC Duarte, Rocketeer Leadership Coach, ServiceRocket

When recently asked about their leadership, a Rocketeer commented:

"But I'm not a leader. I don't have any direct reports."

Leadership comes in many forms. For Rocketeers who work with me as part of our Leadership Behaviors program, or with Graham Betchart, our mental performance coach, or with any other coach/mentor at ServiceRocket, leadership starts with self-authoring your own destiny.

Everyone is responsible for their actions. Everyone is responsible to lead themself before they choose to lead someone else. By taking charge they bring everyone along, interdependent of their contribution.

Regardless of someone’s title or job-level seniority, situational leadership is always expected of a Rocketeer. They’re encouraged to share their experiences in that journey.

In my previous career, I told my manager I wanted to be a company leader. He created a task force for me to drive process improvements. While I didn’t think of myself as a leader, I later realized that managing different situations with people from different backgrounds helped build my skills. Leadership doesn’t require a “lead” title.  

  – Andy Quah, Senior Director, Support

Informed by the Leadership Circle program, our ten Leadership Behaviors and other complementary practices, we learn how to fulfill our Rocketeer Promise:

To learn and grow so that we can have an impact on​ our careers, our families and communities.

These lessons also enable others as we master these best practices:

* Move from a reactive to a creative structure
* Be generous with your knowledge by being a multiplier
* Support the growth of your fellow Rocketeers

Sounds simple, yes? But things aren’t always what they seem.

When looking to Grow the Tree, Rocketeers often discover the limits of their effectiveness. The problem isn’t the lack of Leadership Behaviors; it's either a lack of the right mental skills or a broken process in our Rocket Methodology.

That’s where Graham’s wealth of wisdom comes in. Developing our mental skills enables us to overcome implicit memories and patterns that often sabotage our leadership.

With over 20 years experience coaching professional sports teams, athletes and others, his insights, shared weekly in our Rocketeer Mental Performance group on Workplace, create a cadence for self-learning.  

The next step is for Rocketeers to #SmartlyAnticipate their patterns and schedule some time with myself or Graham to help fine-tune their thinking.

As we unlock our fears, we move from reactive to creative. As our CEO Rob Castaneda has noted, these practices cut to the core of the matter.

“Being deliberate about self reflection allows us to process a habit versus treating it like an internal struggle. Being vulnerable and prioritizing self love allows for clarity.”

Vulnerable is a word we share quite a bit at ServiceRocket, often in the hashtag #VictoryGoesToTheVulnerable.

Developing our mental skills. Applying our empathy and compassion. The ServiceRocket Leadership Behaviors program supports these efforts and the growth of our most important asset: Rocketeers.

Our five values empower Rocketeers to Talk Straight, Share the Knowledge and Build Process to Drive Outcomes, among others. Collectively we build trust while demonstrating a Think Team mindset, knowing that we always have each other’s backs. ​Join us.