Leaders Lead: What Type of Leader Are You?
Personal Effectiveness
Self-sacrifice is not a virtue. We sometimes mistake it for the thing we most need or want. That's your first mistake—being a martyr gets you nowhere.
If you want to be the best leader you can be, your best self, you must care for your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual self—that's job #1. How? Manage your energy, master your emotions, be true to your values, and fiercely cherish the culture you have helped to build.
Infuse Yourself With Energy
Managing your personal energy is as important as your schedule. If you manage your energy wisely, you have an infinite amount of it.
As in all things, your energy stores will have peaks and valleys. I'd like you to understand this and allow an appropriate amount of recovery time that works for your demands on self-awareness.
Some leaders are drained by interacting with employees, while others thrive and are energized by it. Neither is better than the other. It all depends on your emotional and energy makeup. There is no one "right way" to energize yourself, just as there is no one way to lead.
Physical activity, including Tai Chi, gives me the energy to stay at the top of my game. Additionally, I love interacting with others, either one-on-one or in groups. It's how I recharge my batteries to fulfill my purpose.
How do you recharge your batteries? Pop a word or two in the comments below. I want to hear from you.
The Power of Emotions
You and I are emotional beings. We're human. And whether we want to admit it or not, emotions come into play daily in our professional lives.
Emotions left unchecked drain your energy, and over time, the build-up of frustration, disappointment, irritation, anger, and overwhelm, to name a few, can lead to burnout.
I learned this simple phrase from my martial arts training: "My emotions are not me; they are mine. I am the master of my emotions." I admit it's not always easy to remember this during daily life's ups and downs, but I try.
Your emotional states are not who you indeed are. Emotions are ephemeral and change frequently. To say that "I am angry" is a false narrative. Anger does not define you and your true self. Would anyone ever say that you are an angry leader? I doubt it.
Because emotions change throughout the day, reframe the narrative. They are your possessions. You own your feelings and emotions, so you have power and mastery over them, should you choose.
Culture: Playing Favorites Poisons The Locker Room
In "Gridiron Genius," author and former general manager of several NFL teams, Michael Lombardi, shared a story about an NFL head coach who, instead of sending a message that no one is above the team, chose to appease his star player.
Talk about dissension in the locker room. Most players won't come right out and complain about favoritism. You'll see it in their actions and performance on the field.
Every move a leader (the head coach in this instance) makes is scrutinized by the team. Everyone—even the head coach—must practice the culture and values through their actions. It's no different in your company. Everyone is watching for clues and cues about conduct. Even the seemingly most minor thing can tip the balance of a thriving culture in unintended ways.
If the rules don't apply to everyone, there is likely to be chaos that will erode all the foundational good that the leader has sought to instill and build in the company.
Leaders Lead - Be The Chief Culture Officer
Think of your role as the Chief Culture Officer.
The best leaders, CEOs, Managing Partners, and C-Suite executives stand on a platform of fundamental truths that they firmly believe. They model the behavior they want to see in others. They are ethical and have high personal standards, integrity, and other virtues. As I mentioned above, self-sacrifice is not one of them.
They are fierce evangelists and protectors of the culture. They protect the good parts, root out the bad ones, and fiercely protect what is good about their firms.
The Self-Aware Leader
Being versus doing. The best leaders are self-aware and challenge themselves regularly. They are intentional about how they show up every day. They ask themselves, "Are my actions consistent with the values and culture?"
The best leaders know how to manage their energy, master their emotions, and build a culture that fosters creativity and engagement founded on ethical values and virtues that everyone aspires to.
Are you that type of leader?
Until next time!
