the workplace and lets their staff know it, encouraging people to do the same. Get great feedback List the behaviours we have outlined (or others that are important in your workplace) and ask your key colleagues to fill in a short form with a tick-box next to each, asking whether they notice these behaviours in you. Have a column that says, ‘more of’ and another that says ‘less of’. Leave some space in these for people to make notes about would like to see more of and less of regarding a particular behaviour. You’re likely to get some great honest feedback this way. You could ask for this to be done anonymously (some people will be more candid this way) or you could do it verbally – one on one and in a two-way format with key team members. You’ll also gain that residual benefit of people feeling heard.
Others don’t like to be kept in the dark and feel more connected to the team, and to their leader, when they are part of the discussion and are kept abreast of developments. Ask yourself the following questions: “Do my team members know what they need to know?” “Do they know enough to stay connected?” “What are the key inflexion points in our work?” “Have I shared them?” Through a non-confrontational exercise, ask them whether they need more information about you and your management style. • It’s all about you Remember that time, early in your career, when you did all the work for a report or presentation and the boss’s name was the only one on it? Remember how you felt when you saw the “thank you” emails they received, knowing it was you who did all the work? That person did not encourage you to follow them as a leader, but you can learn from how they handled themselves. When you share the credit, show humility, let others shine by being recognised; you’re not only preparing the leaders of tomorrow but you’re also showing your authentic self, your empathy and your evident leadership qualities – by leading a team, not just being the head of a team.
You can keep professional boundaries but show that you, too, are a real and fallible person, just like everybody else. • You lack empathy We all know business leaders who got to the top of their game by rolling over others. Is that what you want your legacy to be? In 2022, most of us don’t; we want to achieve the balance between meeting goals and caring about others. These are two qualities to be admired; if you show that you can balance them your tribe will be behind you. • You are inflexible and fear change We live with change in our daily lives and we all seek some sense of stability. However, if your team feels that you are inflexible, they will not bring you new ideas or suggest innovations or positive changes. The pack will start to seek others who are more open to change than you are. • You practise avoidance We all know those sweet, kind people who avoid unpleasant or difficult topics. These are not the ones who end up being leaders. Being nice does not mean being weak. Strong leaders have the strength of character to face problems, calculate risk, deal with problems head-on and face the tough stuff. If you deal with challenging decisions using a high degree of empathy, you will be a leader that others want to follow because you’ll be getting results. After all, we all want to be on a winning team.
• You talk about work-life balance but don’t practise it
“You can keep professional boundaries but show that you, too, are a real and fallible person”
This says it all. So many leaders know that in our new normal of increased remote working, where we are ‘always on’ (with no distinct work-time shut- downs), we’re feeding burnout; it’s right around the corner for many people. Knowing this is one thing but being a role
• You keep your cards close to your chest
Some people are natural communicators and have an innate instinct for what information they can or must share and what shouldn’t be imparted. Others simply get on with their job without communicating to others what is happening. Gain input from colleagues to find out which communication camp you’re in; if you’re in second, remind yourself to communicate with your team more often.
model to guard against it is another. If you’re the leader, you can also be the role model who shows they are not online, on-call and at work all the time. The new, successful renaissance leader has lots of interests in and out of
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
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