When you set out to run 10km you know it’s going to be awful. Don’t get me wrong, in the long run it’s going to be beneficial. You can prepare yourself all you want, but you’ll be surprised. They’ll be ups and downs, your legs will give out, you’ll get a cramp, or pull a muscle.
Nothing will be perfect. You’re going to encounter roadblocks; personally and/or professionally. You will deal with people in the workplace who are extremely negative but put on a show for everyone else. They will say everything you want to hear and are the first person to throw you under the bus. We have all been there, let’s not kid ourselves.
When I think back to all my years as a people leader, I know that I’m not perfect. I make mistakes and I will own them.
Everything will always come down to the bottom line; how much money is the organization making. It’s not that cut and dry.
Amid all the noise, a people leader can provide the necessary coaching to staff to not only become a better professional, but to provide those other skills that can help them when they’re struggling.
The art of listening is something we have taken for granted, but the past couple years have taught us that we must pay better attention to each other as a whole.
With the back and forth between working from home and the office it has become very clear that the 150% do everything above and beyond at work is not possible. Health, safety of yourself and others, and mental wellness is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of us navigating through our day to day lives in this environment.
As people leaders we all must understand that. We have bad days too. And our employees and superiors must understand that.
Over the past couple years, I have had some eye-opening conversations with my colleagues, and I don’t want to toot my own horn, but a few have made comments that really made me think that I could really be making a difference.
Comments such as:
· integrity and morally unflappable
· long-term rationale
· positive sustainment
· fair but firm
· leader/mentor/role model for all of us
Statements such as:
· I have the utmost respect for you because of…
· If there was anyone that was going to deliver bad news, I’m glad it was you. You treated us like more than a number
· You encouraged me to believe in myself and that I was more than an employee
· Thanks to Devon’s leadership, so many employees now have increased self-esteem, self-worth and self-value
Circling back to my 10km…when I make that run tomorrow, I’ll have a better idea of what to expect. Will it be pristine? Of course not, but I can adjust accordingly and own it.
I will respect the challenge, but I will own the shit out of it. That’s the feeling an employee should feel after having a conversation with their leader.
#leadershipcoaching #peopleleader #motivate #inspire #workplaceculture #coaching
