“The Reason I ‘Failed’ At Being Team Lead”

“Some people are here to inspire. Some are here to create. I’m here to do both.” — GoodJob1st

Do you remember a couple of posts back, where I was talking about getting promoted? Well, it was a short lived promotion. After six months of being on the opposite side, I realized that being a team lead wasn’t for me. There were several reasons that I stepped down. That I will get to in a second but I brought up that post because one of the higher up’s from my previous jobs randomly text me today with a video and the title read, “Why you’re failing to inspire anyone”.

At first I took it as an insult but then it made me think, he was absolutely wrong. I may haven’t been able to baby sit a bunch of 23 year old kids but the people that actually talked with me, knew it was always a learning experience. Before I even considered the promotion, I figured “who better to do the job than me?”. I set the record for most patients taken. I was always in the top percentage in sales and the patients that came in would love talking to my country ass. Why not have me pass the torch to the ones on the battlefield with me?

It wasn’t until after I was told to go “motivate someone else”, I knew I was in the wrong line of work. Constantly repeating myself about small minor details, being ignored discussing those details, dealing with poor work ethic and not really getting the support we needed as a store were all factors in me leaving. But the one idea that rang in my mind as I constantly drove to a job that I was beginning to hate was practicing what I preach. I remember one morning before the whole COVID situation kicked off, I gave a monologue about people complaining about working during the pandemic and how unemployment was going up and etc. But as I think back on what I was saying, I realized that I was talking to myself and it was time for me to put my actions to the test.

I’ve said it before and I’m going to keep stressing it; if you say you’re going to do something, do it. If you’re going to commit to your goal, your happiness, your relationship, you have to decide what energy to keep around you. If at any point in time you feel like what you’re doing is serving you no purpose, you owe it to yourself to make the change. If you don’t make the change, you end up working in the same hell hole for 50 years.

It dawned on me one day that my leadership extended outside of the store and the people who want to be inspired will be and I couldn’t be around those who settled for mediocrity. My inspiration extends farther than conversation, it speaks through action. I don’t write these posts about being optimistic, self-driven, motivated and dedication without making sure my life runs parallel to what I’m saying.

I ‘failed’ at being lead because I couldn’t coach work ethic. I ‘failed’ as a lead because I held everybody to certain expectations and when those expectations weren’t met, I didn’t vocalize them. I ‘failed’ at being a lead because I was telling everyone to choose their path and I wasn’t even on mine. Once I made the decision that I was ready and made the decision to make the leap of faith, I knew I was doing the right thing. Once I realized my worth, it was time to make a change.

When you realize your worth, the shit that you used to put up with, will be immediately laid to rest. You will find the strength to cut ties with people you know you have no business hanging around. Ending friendships will always be tough but when it comes to your personal happiness, you have to do what’s best. Cutting people off isn’t being rude, it’s protecting your energy and proving to yourself that you can be strong and confident in yourself. Leaving jobs work the same way.

It dawned on me one day that if I wanted to see a change, I needed to be the change that I was looking for. I thought about the patients who spend their hard earned money in a store that has them standing in this Arizona heat with no fans or misting system. I thought about all the things we needed as a store , all the things we asked for, how many times we had to answer why we needed them and thought to myself, “if not now, when?”

Me stepping down wasn’t a ‘failure’, it was actually the start of a new chapter. It was me realizing that no dollar amount is worth putting up with unnecessary nonsense. It was me realizing that I have been ignoring my calling by giving my energy where it wasn’t welcomed. It was an opportunity to prove that they (the hardworking employees who are still there) deserve better too and the only way to find is to lead by example.

We were all designed to be great and maybe your current situation is holding you back. Sometimes, we can’t reach our full potential if we have people or things blocking our blessings. Once you understand that, removing yourself from certain situations will allow the universe to align you with an opportunity built just for you. The only way that can happen is by proving that you are ready for the next step.

You have been asking the universe to make plays for you but they seem to be “taking too long”. As stated in the statement before, the universe won’t answer until you prove that you are worthy of the blessings you ask for. Gratitude is ground one. Being grateful for understanding your worth will restore your confidence and will elevate your standards. This rise in confidence will lead to more opportunities becoming available because you are now operating at a higher energy.

Today, exercise your right to tell yourself that you deserve better. Whether it be friendships, business endeavors, relationships, you deserve to have a high quality lifestyle. Once you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. When you change the way you look at yourself, the right people find you, the right opportunities come your way and because of your confidence, you will succeed beyond your wildest imagination.

• SB