7 Things Leaders Do Unnecessarily
I’ve been working across a broad range of issues with a variety of clients lately and there are several things about organizations and leaders today that strike me as unnecessarily stress producing.
1. We don’t do a good job of helping people understand what’s expected of them.
2. Conversely, we don’t do a good job of allowing people to employ their best strengths to the tasks at hand.
3. We seem to focus on the things that need to change rather than trying to leverage the things that work.
4. We adopt an intensity of focus in our determination to change, but it’s often a forced and almost false concentration. We don’t believe the change will truly happen.
5. We put pressure on ourselves to glide through difficult transition periods without showing signs of stress, pain, confusion, and even anger. We deny our human emotions, which of course only magnifies them.
6. We expect others to act like grown-ups even if we aren’t willing or able to do the same.
7. We focus on outcomes and process and we lose an awful lot of learning and fun along the way.
Growth is a tough business. When leaders have the opportunity and the responsibility to lead change, it is important that they carefully consider the rewards both of the journey and of the desired changed state.
When people can see and appreciate rewards along the way, they are much more willing to engage in the inevitable struggles of change. Some rewards to consider:
Freedom to explore, fail, and learn
Support in learning new skills
Leaders to look up to
Improved self-confidence
Enhanced intellectual and emotional stamina
Greater ability to deal with ambiguity
Pride of accomplishment
Build these rewards into every work process—acknowledge and celebrate them wherever you find them—and watch your organization transform.
Categories: LeadershipAbout Susan Marshall
