"A leader is a dealer in hope."
-Napoleon Bonaparte
At times, Napoleon might have needed to be reminded of this fact, but don't we all? The measurement of a true leader should be in the innate ability to instill trust and hope in those you are leading. The other day I was quickly reminded that as a leader, it is my responsibility to do these things.
We all know the saying "S*(& rolls down hill." I'm here to say, that it shouldn't. A true leader knows that both the good and the bad are a direct reflection on how he/she leads the team. I made that mistake this week and informed my team that I got reamed for something that had happened while I was out of the office...WHAT WAS I THINKING?? This is not way effective leaders handle things; I did not need to bring my team down with me-but I did!
For the rest of the week, I received apology upon apology from them...and why? They did nothing wrong. Instead of addressing the situation directly and letting it go, I needed to talk about it. I wasn't being hopeful, I was being hopeless.
From one leader to another. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Be humble.
2. Offer guidance.
3. Share praise.
Hopefully, I will remember to follow my inner leader in the future!
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Great post, Krista. This is what makes a good blog and a good leader!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback. I suppose #4 should be "Learn from your mistakes."
ReplyDelete-Krista
i have something to add "sh#t rolls UP a hill, too." what i mean by this is that your people should be able to count on you, as their fearless leader, to back them up with support when they fail. and they will fail. and when they fail, you fail. and then you back their butts up (assuming these are generally decent employees who are worthy of said backing up).
ReplyDeleteone of my biggest pet peeves is a leader who throws their own employees under the bus. this is the hallmark of a person who is acting like a leader, but not actually being one.
now, to answer your question: i hope i am a good leader, and i aim for that but i am human (as are you dear friend). one of the things i'm continually working on is sharing too much. in your case, i think the employees feeling responsible for what happened is a good sign. your employees respect you -- otherwise, they wouldn't share the burden.