There’s a lot of content out there telling you all the mistakes to avoid as a leader.
It is valuable information. We can all benefit from knowing what to stop doing.
But there is something so demotivating about posts that are basically telling you “don’t be crap”.
Urgh.
My personal philosophy is to focus on what you do want, then work to make that a reality.
We’ve all seen, met, or worked with/for someone that we admired.
They told us compelling stories. They spoke clearly and engaged us so that we wanted to listen, even if we did not agree with what they said.
They made us feel welcome, that we could speak up to ask questions or share ideas and solutions.
They took time to know us, personally.
If we got stuck, then we’d head over to them and say “got a minute?”
And then they would listen to us and ask us what we thought, and helped us to find the solution, instead of just telling us what to do.
These are the people we were willing to follow. These are the people who helped us grow and learn so that we could be brilliant at our jobs.
Wouldn’t it be so fecking awesome if people saw us that way?
Here’s my tip:
- paint a picture of the kind of leader you’ve always wanted.
- start doing and being those things, one by one.
And yes, there are things that you will need to stop doing, like checking up on people every 5 mins, or trying to come up with all the answers yourself.
Only now you know what to do instead.
Let’s be real here. If telling ourselves to stop doing something actually worked, no one would smoke cigarettes.
When you focus on what you do want, you’ll get these results:
People around you will start to take more responsibility and accountability.
You’ll have some free time (now that you’re no longer trying to know and do everything).
You’ll get to spend more time on the parts of the job you actually love.
You’ll get all the good feels from empowering others and helping them grow.
Ah, that’s the life!
Work and life is so much more enjoyable this way.
Be the leader you’ve always wanted.
“What’s a leadership series? How’s it different to the thought series or coaching tips? Good questions. “ This series gives you tips to take your own leadership to the next level, and ways you can extend your own capabilities. Ready to take your skills to the next level, but aren’t sure where to start? Get in touch with me.