Leadership is a hot topic in the business world. There are many resources – books, articles and workshops – that help us think more deeply about leadership and what good leadership should look like.
And yet, when it comes to implementing these ideas, it’s not always that easy.
Why?
We know that being a leader comes with a large dose of responsibility, complexity, challenge, constantly adapting to a dynamic environment and making decisions under immense pressure.
You balance being visionary and practical.
You manage uncertainty while maintaining stability.
You lead diverse, globally dispersed teams while ensuring a cohesive culture and collaboration.
You withstand pressure while building resilience.
And all the while, you’re subject to intense scrutiny.
Not a small feat!
To do this well requires taking care of the core of you, as you juggle all the balls you hold. Some of the things that help with this are self-awareness, focus, commitment and accountability.
At the core of your “job” as a leader is the commitment you make to noticing (and adjusting) how you show up and how you interact with others.
Here’s a definition of leadership I’d like to share with you:
“A leader is someone who has a vision and the ability to inspire and motivate others to achieve that vision.”
This speaks about you as a leader – holding a strong, clear vision (1) – and about how you lead others – being inspiring and motivating (2) – so that together you achieve that vision (3).
There are three parts to being a leader:
1. You
2. Your People
3. Your Vision
The hard part is placing enough attention on all three so that they are more or less balanced. Take one of these out and it just doesn’t work!
If you had to give yourself a score (out of 10) on how you’re doing in each of these areas, what would it be?
If you had to ask your team and peers to give you a score (out of 10) in each of these areas, would it be the same as yours? Are you willing to ask?
As you look at the scores you give yourself, what do you notice?
Is one area being neglected as you focus on the others?
Or is one area overdone because that’s your default?
I’d love it if you shared your scores and reflections with me.
Leadership is a continuous learning journey that requires a commitment to personal and professional growth. As the world evolves, you need to stay abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and best practices. You also need to cultivate your skills, broaden your knowledge base and seek feedback to refine your leadership style.
Embracing a growth mindset and investing in self-development enables you to adapt to new challenges and inspire your team to do the same.
This awareness is the starting point for the leadership journey. Understanding where you’re at and where you’d like to be helps you decide where to place more attention and intention so that you can be the kind of leader people want to follow!
Next week, I’ll go into more detail about where to focus in order to build up your scores…
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