Mercedes Ikard, Senior Director of US Benefits Operations at The Walt Disney Company, says something most leadership advice ignores: you don't have to want this. Some of her friends chose not to pursue leadership roles and she respects that decision completely. Because leadership isn't for everyone, and pretending otherwise serves no one.
But if you do choose this path, understand what it requires.
"If you choose to do so, do it with grace and give yourself the same amount of grace that you would show others. I think that is something that is extremely important."
Not grace as soft leadership. Grace as survival mechanism. Because the job is high pressure. The stress is real. The expectation that you'll have perfect solutions for every problem facing Disney's complex workforce is impossible. And leaders who can't extend grace to themselves don't last.
"'Cause it is high pressure. It comes with a lot of stress."
The failure to show yourself grace, Mercedes warns, is at your own demise. It makes the journey less enjoyable, less palatable, exponentially more stressful. After big projects, her postmortems aren't punitive. They're learning exercises. What didn't go well? What can we do differently? How do we improve without punishment?
The question isn't whether you'll be perfect. It's whether you'll extend yourself the same grace you'd show anyone else learning to lead.
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