Guest Opinion: Finding leadership inspiration in unexpected places

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By Julie Wulfekuhle | Business initiatives senior manager, Wells Fargo

Leadership inspiration can come from a variety of sources. For many, inspiration comes in the familiar forms of books, quotes, podcasts or webinars. However, we sometimes miss the leadership lessons that unfold in unlikely – and less obvious – places, activities and interactions.

I was recently reminded of this when researching methods to teach my son about money. I came across the Three Jars method, where kids learn to manage money through saving, spending and charitable giving jars.

As the name suggests, the method entails three jars labeled “save,” “spend” and “share.” Together, you and your child discuss what each jar means, decide how much of his/her weekly allowance will be allocated to each, and set goals accordingly.

The more I thought about this concept, the more I realized that the same principles apply to our careers, and more broadly, to leadership.

As we move from individual contributors to managers – as we progress in our careers – we make choices about what we’re willing to “save,” “spend” and “share” along the way.

We transition from thinking about our own careers to how to develop others, from thinking about what’s right ahead of us to where the business is going and how to get there. Leaders don’t simply focus on one of these areas. They invest their time and energy on all three.

1. Save: Similar to putting money aside for retirement and your child’s college education, leaders plan and lay the foundation for the future. This may mean taking steps to ensure that you and your team have the skills and training needed to do the job now and into the future. It also entails establishing a clear vision for the business or team and sharing that vision with others. Setting goals and strategies for the upcoming day/week/month/year are vital for long-term success.

2. Spend: Once the foundation is set, leaders must provide the information, knowledge and tools to realize that vision. Time and energy are focused on coaching and providing support and resources, delivering on objectives, and developing and reinforcing the vision and strategies.

3. Share: This category is all about giving back. Bottom line? Invest in people. Recognize what you can do to develop your team. Find opportunities to develop talent, to inspire passion and energy, and to instill purpose. Just as importantly, as leaders, we have a responsibility to give back to the communities in which we live and work. Find opportunities to use your skills and/or resources to help others.

Thinking about our careers and leadership in this manner – what we’re “saving,” “spending” and “sharing” – encourages us to be more thoughtful and balanced about how we invest our time and energy as leaders.

Perhaps as importantly, it’s an example of how we can draw upon life outside work to be a better leader at work. All it takes is sharpening your observational skills and a focus on seeing leadership lessons in unexpected places.

Julie Wulfekuhle is a business initiatives senior manager for Wells Fargo. Wulfekuhle received her Master of Business Administration from Drake University and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Iowa. She has two decades of experience in the financial services industry and a special interest in promoting women in business. To learn more about Wulfekuhle, contact her via emailor go online. Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Wells Fargo.