The Meeting That Changed My Leadership Style

I’ve written before about how to approach a Function 360—what to include, what to question, and how to lead the conversation.
But here’s the truth:
The reason I know what matters most is because I’ve learned it the hard way.
This isn’t theory.
It’s one meeting that made me rethink how I lead.

I Walked In Ready – So I Thought

It was my first real Function Review, not just a status update, but a conversation with my CIO to walk through performance, financials, and strategic priorities.
I showed up prepared.
Deck? Done.
Metrics? Clean.
Risks? Understood.
Talking points? Locked.

But five minutes in, it was obvious:
Being prepared isn’t the same as being ready.

The Review That Shifted My Perspective

The first question was about a variance between plan and actuals.
I had an answer—but it lacked connection. It didn’t frame the “so what.”
Then came a staffing question. I had data. But my rationale? Unclear – not concise and to the point.
And then the question that hit hardest:
“What’s the message here?“

That one stopped me cold.
Because I knew the work and I trusted the team, I hadn’t stepped far enough back to shape the story.

What That Meeting Taught Me

It wasn’t a disaster.
But it was a wake-up call.
I realized:

• I had delegated too far and lost sight of the full financial picture.
• I was reporting the work, but not framing the narrative.
• I was tracking metrics, but not translating them into insights.

What I needed wasn’t more detail.
It was more clarity, more context, and more control.

How It Changed My Leadership Style

After that meeting, I made a shift.

• I built the financial fluency I needed to hold my own with Finance.
• I turned updates into insights—recaps into narratives.
• I worked with my team to articulate the value behind the work, not just the
• activity.
• And I stopped equating preparation with leadership.

Now, I measure my readiness by how clearly I can lead the room. It didn’t happen overnight. It took time and effort to build discipline and that skill.

How You Can Tell You’re Actually Ready

If you’re leading a Function 360, or any senior review, here’s what I’ve learned to ask yourself:

• Can you explain variances without the slide?
• Do you understand not just what happened, but why, the implications, and the impact to the business?.
• Have you framed a narrative? Does it tie back to the IT and business strategies?
• Do your slides support the story clearly and with metrics?

That’s what readiness looks like.
It’s not about polish.

It’s about clarity.

Why I’m Sharing This

If you’ve read my earlier posts and thought, “Easier said than done”—you’re absolutely right.

It is hard.
It does take time.
And for many of us, there’s one moment that shows us the next level we need to grow into.

For me, it was a meeting I thought I was ready for until I understood what real readiness demands.

It wasn’t comfortable.
But it made me better.

Slides don’t lead. People do.
And that meeting taught me what it really means to lead from clarity.