Learn to take direction well before you try giving it. Every great captain was once a great rookie.

Receiving instruction well teaches you what instruction feels like from the other side, which is the only reliable way to learn how to give it. People who skip that stage tend to be unclear and then surprised by the confusion, having never had to work out what was missing from someone else’s sentences. Following is not a lesser skill.

Take one piece of direction this week without adjusting it, even where you would have done it differently. Notice what made it easy or hard to follow. That single observation is worth more than most advice about leading.