Last week, our company held our 13th annual team retreat. Each September, we have a day where we step back from the day to day business to celebrate where we’ve come as a team and prepare for the season ahead.
In this year’s company retreat, I had the privilege of interviewing Chris Sharrock and Emily Jones, two of our team members who are the MOST of anyone I know.
The first was Chris Sharrock, recently named Vice President of our Equipment Solutions arena. Chris is the MOST intentional person I know. Chris joined Block Imaging fresh out of college with the plan to save up enough money to move west and pursue a film career. I’m incredibly thankful that Chris’s plan never came to fruition.
3 Leadership Nuggets Learned from Chris:
1. Doing the Deep Work and Holistic is Paramount
Over the years, Chris has coached in the music and endurance sports sphere, and when asked about the difference in those who realize significant life change and those who remain stuck in homeostasis, Chris shared the key pieces of “Doing the deep work” and “pursuing holistic transformation.” He went on to say that discipline across all of the areas of life – physical, spiritual, relational and emotional is the gateway for enduring change. “It’s when we do the deep work that we begin to see transformation take place from the inside out.
2. Dream and Be Kind
One of Sharrock’s passions is helping people get unstuck. When asked about getting unstuck, Chris shared that the two biggest keys in his life relate to DREAMING and being KIND to himself. “The reality is that we need to learn to dream again. And the fact that many of us have negative narratives about ourselves running through our heads doesn’t help very much.”
3. The Importance of Followership
With Chris’s new role, I asked what was front and center on his mind as a leader. His response was surprising. “Ya know, there are whole sections of books on leadership and yet far too little is written on followership. What does it look like to be a good follower? What can team members do to reduce the burden of leadership AND make sure they have what they need to thrive. The truth is that most followers are constantly waiting to be led and given what they need. As Jocko Willink’s shares in “Extreme Ownership,” leading up the chain is so important to team and individual success. While leadership is incredibly important, we need to continue discussing ways to be great followers as well.”
I am incredibly thankful to Chris for his investment in our team and excited to continue to see the intentionality ripples emanate in my life and across our entire team and community.
