Your Favorite Leaders Know Best

Steal from your favorite leaders

Insight from Rameel Sheikh

I didn't have a mentor while getting my start.

I don't know if that was because I am an introvert, the idea of networking felt gross, or didn't want to cause too many waves.

While I had remarkable managers, mentors offer a broader perspective that you can't get by yourself.

So my hesitation to ask for mentorship was a hurdle.

Instead of putting myself out there, I did something a bit weirder (but more effective!).

I "stole" the best practices from my peers and leaders to incorporate within my daily work.

While my manager was not always available for skill development, there's huge value in watching from colleagues.

Over time, I "stole":

• Best practices on how to run an OKR meeting

• How not to deal with a pissed-off employee threatening legal damages

• How to gracefully communicate underperformance to a teammate

This approach isn't limited to the people in your company.

I recall when a well-organized follow-up email from a senior operations professional at another company caught my attention.

I still have it.

Here is an example of an email:

Not because there’s anything earth-shattering in there, but because I started using it as a template for strategy planning.

Learn More: Read why this works here