A new way of leading
So much has been bubbling up over the last couple of years that led us to change the way we lead people. So even though it's quite unfortunate that a pandemic forced us to change how we work and lead, it's still an opportunity to make room for space and growth.
Treading your way into a new way of leading people is no easy task when we've been so used to the "authoritative" leadership style that has been the norm ever since. However, sticking with what the norm has dictated will not only do harm to the people you're leading but also to you.
This blog post will discuss the new way of leading and the best practices you can implement for better leadership. (Do you prefer to listen? Then, head on to my podcast interview with Michael Tingsager.
A new type of leader
There's a demand for a new type of leader. It's someone who can really ebb and flow between being in command and coaching people and holding space for them. Sometimes, leaders feel fear of being approached by their team members. Just from the workshops I've held, some leaders fear that they might not be able to give answers when their team members ask them something. So here's a reminder that it's okay to be in a space where you're willing to listen with an open heart. You don't have to have the answers right away.
Aside from really listening, there's a demand for leaders to be visionary. It's essential to be ahead of a few steps, especially with all the changes that have happened and will happen in the future. Visionary leaders will be able to lead their team into shifts and changes with stability.
Lastly, there's a demand for leaders who are cross-pollinators. Are you willing to experiment and test out new things? How often are you raising your head above the parapet to see what other departments are doing that you could try and test? What strategies are you seeing from other industries that you could apply and test in your own industry?
Best practices to step into the new way of leading
Facilitate self-management
Leaders create tens or even hundreds of decisions every day, but how often do you create decisions for yourself based on your body first versus your head?
Self-management is the key tool to being a great leader and realising what your body needs. When you facilitate self-management in your everyday life, you actually gain more time and energy for yourself, your loved ones and your team.
Just because you have white space in your calendar doesn't mean that you should fill it with work, and just because you think you can, doesn't mean you should set yourself some unrealistic targets and expectations. Your phone cannot run all day and needs to be powered up. Your body deserves the same. You can't treat your brain and body like they're an endless source of energy and momentum.
Find your internal anchor
One of the key things I work with leaders is asking them how much stillness they invite into their day. Do they create space for it in the morning, during the workday, or do they make it a part of their winddown routine?
The key way to find your internal anchor is to make time for stillness. It doesn't have to be an hour-long meditation practice. It can be as simple as sitting and doing nothing. As a leader, if you aren't taking the time to pause and question who you are and what strengthens you internally, you'll be consistently blowing in the wind of everyone else's agendas that aren't yours, which really affects your mental health long-term.
Make changes that stick
I have noticed in some of the companies I have worked with that they send out surveys to their employees, but they haven't actually done anything with the feedback they got. It creates mistrust with employees because what's the point of answering the surveys if nothing gets changed?
All of this stems back to co-creating with employees and making sure to store the feedback you got and implement them. This is because it's essential to lead a transparent organisation where every employee receives heard and changes that matter to them happen.
Lead difficult conversations
It would be really beneficial to support leaders in leading difficult conversations, especially around mental health and race. Most leaders have the heart to help their team around these conversations but don't know how to lead them. They fear that they'll say the wrong thing, offend their team members without meaning to or not have the right answers. Investing in leaders to be able to lead these conversations will be beneficial for the whole company in the long run to support their employees.
Hopefully, this has given you a few ideas on how you can tread into the new ways of leading people. If you need in-house training to equip you and the other leaders in your company fully, you can check out my in-house training for organisations here.
Are you ready to build better self awareness , self leadership and well-being at work? Head to the link to learn more about our Be Happy First Well-being Programme.