Three Key Lessons in Leadership From the Field

Over the last few years, I have been on a rather large reflection journey about my career and how I have gotten to where I am today.

One person that played a huge role in my career development was Jem,my boss at Sapient. He has been one of my favorite influencers throughout my career for several reasons, and he taught me three crucial lessons during my time with the business:

Learn to be comfortable while being uncomfortable.
Trust the team around you.
When things are bad – I have your back.

Making an Uncomfortable Transition

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When I first started at Sapient, I was transitioning from day-to-day delivery to more of a relationship management and team-building position. Jem knew I was having a hard time making that transition and fully realizing my potential at Sapient. I think the best thing he did was help surround me with fantastic delivery people so that in many aspects, I simply did not have to make those daily check-ins or even worry about it.

At first, it was very uncomfortable for me, and I would check in on my various projects daily. With time, however, it became very clear that I could, in fact, step away. For me,there were two lessons here:

If you want to get yourself to the next level, you need to be uncomfortable before you can be comfortable.
Surround yourself with people you trust to help accomplish tasks for the greater good. You can’t go far personally while keeping too many tasks on your own plate.

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About the Author

Eric Middleton

CEO

Embodying the 1Rivet culture, Eric asks himself and others daily: "What have you done for the client today?" He’s a passionate leader who brings an innovative approach and a burst of energy to every client organization.

An expert in program management, data analytics, business analysis and custom development, Eric’s known for his pragmatic approach and his ability to leverage proven methodologies to get things done faster, without compromising quality.

During his nearly two decades of successfully integrating complex IT systems during mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, he’s served dozens of companies in the banking, utility and auto industries.

Prior to founding 1Rivet, Eric was director of enterprise program management at Fannie Mae, director of enterprise program management for SapientNitro and spent as decade as a senior manager at Accenture.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, where he enjoyed attending Nittany Lions football games.

When Eric’s not working you can find him jogging, skiing, woodworking and collecting vintage arcade games from the 1920s-1950s. A Maryland native, Eric lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, two children, and black lab, Basil.