Every First-Time Leader Needs to Hear This
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Q: What advice do you have for a first-time or newer leader?
A: Don’t be the leader that you think leaders have to be.
When you step into a leadership position, it's not something you have over people like, “I've arrived here at this higher, elite level.” You're just a human being.
You have a different function in the organization and that function involves you supporting the people you are leading so that they can be successful.
Forget what you’ve learned about leadership from what you’ve seen, and (terrible) bosses you’ve had.
Don't step into that role just to imitate what you’ve seen around leadership from others throughout your life. It’s easy to absorb terrible habits from watching the media, movies, and people who have been toxic or authoritative to you as a leader and modeled shitty behavior.
It can be easy for us to adopt a sense that those things are normal, even if they’re extremely toxic, just because we’ve been exposed to them which can wire our brains to feel like, “Ah, this must be just how people act and behave as leaders.”
There is a better way. Break cycles of poor leadership, abuse, and toxic behavior as a leader.
Be better. Be the leader you’ve always wanted to have.
You don’t have to be stern and authoritative over other people. You don’t have to instill fear and obedience in others, or lord your title over people. You don’t have to know everything, you can admit when you’re wrong or don’t know the answer.
“If you lead with fear and false bravado, you can win people’s obedience, but they won’t love you.”
If you lead with fear and false bravado, you can win people’s obedience, but they won’t love you. People will go to the line for you, but no further.
However, if you lead by proving that you care about your people as human beings and that you’re invested in their success and there to serve them - your people will follow you into hell.
You can be friendly and kind to people, you can be vulnerable and real. You can and should ask for feedback from your team on a consistent basis to improve their experience and your skill as a leader. You can enter into challenging conversations and navigate them with courage and clarity, keeping your emotional behavior in check. You can ask questions and gain input from your team before making a decision.
“You can enter into challenging conversations and navigate them with courage and clarity, keeping your emotional behavior in check.”
The truth is that you will be significantly more effective as a leader if you show up in a way that proves that you’re in service of the people you’re leading, and that you’re hungry to continually learn and grow and improve. Actively seek out training and build your skills in areas that you aren’t highly competent in.
Navigating conflict is a skill, communicating clearly is a skill, effectively giving and receiving feedback is a skill. These are all areas that will make you more successful as a leader. Read books and blogs, watch videos, take classes - invest in your own growth which will directly result in your, and your team’s, success.
“Read books and blogs, watch videos, take classes - invest in your own growth which will directly result in your own success.”
You’re there to serve your people, they’re not there to serve you.
Adopt the mindset that your job is to support and serve your people, and to be authentically be the best leader that you can be.
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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