Your Leadership Journey
Do you feel like you were set up for success when you first began your leadership journey? A big part of learning the ins and outs of leadership is changing your mindset. Switching from an environment where you were responsible for just yourself to creating a culture of building up the success of others can be slightly overwhelming. So how do you make someone feel like they are going to lead well?
Mindset Change for Positive Leadership
I have a story about a leader who came to me with a negative mindset about how her people perceived her. She was always the one delivering bad news, and eventually, her team knew that when she walked into the room, the mood would shift. She was angry and upset that her employees only related her to negativity and never saw her in a positive way. Rightfully so. But what she didn’t know is that she had the power to reframe her thinking about how people looked at her.
We had a few coaching sessions, and I advised her to go to her manager about sprinkling in bits of positivity that she could take to her team, such as individual recognition or being the one to share some good news. I wanted her to know that she could control and influence their perceptions and choose how she showed up and presented herself. Then, she could Implement the change and then record their reactions. At first, the new behavior may shock them, but the consistent display of the new behaviors will pay off.
Recently, I could see that she was in a much better mindset. She said that she had been sharing positive customer satisfaction feedback with her team and was influencing the circle in a more positive way. Sure enough, those on her team began to see her differently. After having these interactions, I suggested she write personal notes to her people to keep the positivity going. Things relating to what they may have said or seen in the meeting, or maybe about something they are currently going through. So by taking control of people’s perception of her and changing her mindset first, she was able to change her behaviors and then line up her actions. What once was full of negativity now radiated positivity.
Realizing Leadership
Just like anything we try to implement in life, to succeed in Caring Leadership, consistency will always be key. When you confront a negative situation, you have to know there’s a problem, and you have to care about that problem for it to be addressed. Plus, you have to have the stamina to consistently see it through. Finally, if you’re still feeling stuck, assessments can help and often highlight what leading well looks like.
In my podcast episode, Leaders With Heart Understand Who They Are And Use It To Lead Well, I chatted with Karen Weeks about her leadership journey and the way she sees how the differences in leadership styles impact the way we lead. To quote her;
“I felt like I kind of fell into leadership. I think it is partially because of being in an HR role. You’re always working with other people and helping them in their journey, so you sort of lose track of your own. All of a sudden, I would realize that now I’m the leader. In the moment of struggle, I would say, “Wait, I am actually the leader in this situation.” I’m the one people are looking up to.”
You won’t have all the answers when you begin your leadership journey. Spoiler alert – even 5, 10, or 20 years into your journey, you still won’t have all the answers. But when you’re in a leadership position, your team, big or small, you have to realize it’s your time to shine. Adapting your mindset to focus on positivity and a well-balanced culture for your employees will bring you out of feeling helpless. You have control over what you bring to the table, and once you realize the sky’s the limit, your actions will line up too.
The moral of the story: Don’t give up. Your mindset is just that – yours – and you have the power to change it. It all starts with you.
