Cut Leaders Some Slack
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Cut leaders a little bit of slack.
I often harp on leaders about all the things they have to get right because great leadership matters. Bad leadership destroys teams and companies, full stop. Also, the reality is that leadership is incredibly hard. This week's #culturedrop is some grace and perspective because leading humans is a challenge.
“Bad leadership destroys teams and companies, full stop. Also, the reality is that leadership is incredibly hard.”
It can be pretty easy sometimes to play armchair quarterback. From the sidelines, everything looks obvious. Decisions seem simple. Mistakes feel avoidable. Opinions flows freely when someone else is carrying the responsibility.
That perspective can change a lot when you’re the one in the arena.
Leadership is hard. Certainly harder than it looks.
Being a good leader takes a lot. It requires vulnerability, emotional intelligence, and a high level of self-awareness to start. Leaders have to navigate different personalities, communication styles, learning preferences, and working habits. They deal with the full range of human messiness that shows up in any organization.
And while most employees may not be a problem, some employees absolutely are, and leaders are the ones who have to navigate and deal with that.
Leadership involves managing various levels of complexity, tension, and uncertainty all at once.
“Leaders live in the middle of competing demands. They have to support and advocate for their teams while also holding people accountable to do great work.”
The constant juggle.
Leaders live in the middle of competing demands. They have to support and advocate for their teams while also holding people accountable to do great work.
They balance what their team needs with what the organization requires. All at once they set priorities, communicate clearly, manage performance, and absorb pressure from every direction.
That balancing act never really stops. Even when things look calm, there’s usually still a lot happening behind the curtains.
Accountability still matters.
None of this is an excuse for bad leadership. It takes a lot to be a great leader and it’s a massively important role.
Leaders should be held accountable, they should seek feedback, continually grow, and take responsibility for their impact. Terrible leadership exists, and it causes real damage.
“In my experience most leaders aren’t villains. Most are trying really hard and doing their best to juggle everything that’s required of them with the information, constraints, and resources they have.”
But in my experience most leaders aren't villains. Most are trying really hard and doing their best to juggle everything that’s required of them with the information, constraints, and resources they have.
The duck on the pond.
Leadership often feels like the duck gliding across the water. On the surface, even when things look smooth and controlled, underneath there’s constant motion, effort, and strain keeping everything moving forward and as smoothly as possible.
When things go wrong, leaders are often the lightning rod. If something feels broken, it’s easy to point up the org chart. And while many times that criticism is valid. Often, it lacks context and a full picture of all the dynamics at play.
A little grace goes a long way.
Organizations would benefit from more grace, empathy, and compassion, especially toward the people carrying the most responsibility. Leaders shoulder a lot. It is my firm belief that many of the loudest critics wouldn’t actually want the weight that comes with leadership.
“Leaders shoulder a lot. It is my firm belief that many of the loudest critics wouldn’t actually want the weight that comes with leadership.”
Holding leaders to high standards and extending them understanding are not opposites. They can and should coexist.
Leadership is tough. Cutting leaders some slack doesn’t lower the bar. It acknowledges reality. Leaders need to stay intact and have support too, just like everyone else on a team.
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
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