I recently attended a 3-day workshop on how to lead transformational workshops; very meta. And, as it turns out, transformational.

A few lessons really stood out for me.

1.       Safety comes first. The workshop leaders highlighted over and over again that psychological safety comes first. You can’t belong to a group if you don’t feel safe. They created the prerequisites for safety and then explained how they did it.  
2.       Groups create a caliber of wisdom that no one single person could alone. In a transformational workshop (as opposed to a didactic presentation packed with content) leaders provide the framework and a touch of content, then allow the group to co-create the answers. What emerges is amazing.
3.       Groups flourish with leaders who are authentically themselves. The workshop leaders asserted that when someone enters a workshop or a retreat they ask themselves these questions about the leaders, in this order:

        1. Are they human?

     2. Are they warm?

              3. Are they competent?

In the past, I’ve focused on shoring up my credentials, thinking that’s what matters most. Instead, what I now believe is that group members most want a leader who engages with them as a human being, sees them, and is fully there in the room. It doesn’t mean oversharing or giving over one’s role as leader, but it does mean being “present, not perfect.”

You can apply these lessons to any group, meeting, or function that you lead.

1.       Consider whether you are ensuring psychological safety, so that everyone feels a sense of belonging and that they can safely share their thoughts.
2.       In your events, create space for group wisdom to emerge. Trust that it is valuable enough to take the extra time to get all voices into the room.
3.       Look at how you’re showing up. Could you show more of your vulnerability, your humanness?

What might you do a bit differently at the next event you lead? I challenge you to try. And if you come across obstacles and need a guide, let’s talk.