"When I was last in a leadership position, the clutch player employee displayed real talent and leadership skills. I decided they were prime to rise to the occasion and join the management. I spent months training them, and they quickly ascended through the ranks. I often told them their drive, ambition, and ability to follow directions got them there. But they would say, and my manager seconded this, that my coaching, clear direction, and communication made reaching and overcoming their goals easy. I finally agreed that we both succeeded in our goals."

"In my previous role, I was the most senior consultant, so when we had a new employee join, my manager asked if I would let her shadow me. I tried to put myself in his shoes and think about what he would need to learn first at a foundational level. I spent the first few days letting him observe what I did daily and showing him how I organized my work and time. I showed him how to do several tasks on the computer and a lot of the software we used. I made sure he was comfortable, and when he was ready, I had him take over while I observed and was there for support and any questions he had. It felt good to be there for someone new and help them get acclimated to our organization."