In this conversation, Clayton Haas reflects on the turning points that shaped his leadership journey, from early lessons that challenged his assumptions to the moments that pushed him to grow. He shares how his approach evolved over time and what ultimately helped him become a leader who builds people, not just processes.

Clayton shares an inspiring story of growing as a leader by learning to handle the hard parts of the job as we progress from individual contributor to front-line supervisor to middle and executive management. Leaders mature through a typical arch. Often they start by just doing things themselves, so they can avoid the harder and less fun parts of leading a team. Then they muster the resolve to do the hard things, but often with a cumulation of toil on the body and the spirit. The promise is to do the hard things better and with less stress, and to do them in a way the reduces how often you need to do them in the first place.

It's good to be a leader who will handle the hard things, but that can come at a price. It's even better to be a leader who attracts and builds more people to handle the hard things. Clayton offers practical tips for how he made that personal transformation and has added years of peace and fulfilment to his life from it.

Additional Resources:

Connect with Clayton on LinkedIn

Attend Unleashing Leaders University!

Learn more about Unleashing Leaders

Follow Unleashing Leaders on LinkedIn

Connect with Lee on LinkedIn

Follow Unleashing Leaders on Facebook

Follow Unleashing Leaders on Instagram Key Takeaways:

• Leaders must learn from both good and bad examples.
• Customer service is essential in any role, including government.
• Listening is a critical skill for effective leadership.
• Empowering employees leads to better outcomes.
• Difficult conversations are necessary for growth.