“One of the criticisms I’ve faced over the years is that I’m not aggressive enough or assertive enough, or maybe somehow, because I’m empathetic, it means I’m weak. I totally rebel against that. I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate and strong.” – Jacinda Ardern.
Whether you’re a fan or not, Jacinda Ardern’s leadership style can be captivating. We often remember leaders who show strength and resolution throughout significant events. But throwing in honesty and compassion is what makes Ardern an inspiring leader for me.
2020 was a time of change for all of us. Some of those changes were difficult, some very positive, but all brought the opportunity to learn. It’s also a year that taught me a lot. I want to share what 2020 highlighted for me about leadership – and I’d love to hear your thoughts on what it highlighted for you.
Much more than a title
Everyone can be a leader, but the actual achievement comes from refining leadership skills, not landing a title. Leaders exist in many areas outside of the business world. Maybe you’re a leader in your community, your place of worship, or even your family. There is an abundance of people who display leadership without ever having a C-Level Exec title; because leadership itself is much more than a title.
The supportive role
Here’s an oxymoron to remember; a leadership role is a supportive role. Without a team to lead, you’re just an individual doing your own thing. And if you’re not delivering motivation, inspiration, and support, a team will not follow you.
Support isn’t just about picking up the pieces when things go wrong or pitching in when things get crazy. It’s about empowering a team to give their 100%. That empowerment comes from motivation – reminding your team of their abilities and what they can achieve. It comes from inspiration – painting the picture of what success (for everyone) looks like. It also comes from understanding; knowing what each person’s version of 100% looks like and helping them get there.
Real success is the outcome of collaboration, not the result of ego. By acting together with shared clarity and vision that’s larger than just one person, much bigger things can happen.
Honesty
Acting with honesty and transparency is always the right decision. Sometimes, being honest can create difficult conversations. But those are the discussions that bring value and allow people to learn from each other. After all, if we all had the same ideas, we would never be challenged or learn anything new.
Leaders don’t just value honesty; they demonstrate it. They speak the truth regardless of how popular or unpopular it will make them. They share the truth with transparency and welcome it in return.
Collaboration
Real success is the outcome of collaboration, not the result of ego. By acting together with shared clarity and vision that’s larger than just one person, much bigger things can happen. Working together means being open to feedback, really listening, and engaging in honest dialogue. It’s creating effective outcomes that are the result of many perspectives, not just the one. An African proverb that always serves as a reminder for me, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Real followers are the ones that act freely, not the ones told to follow. And, real leaders are the ones who attract free followers.
Acknowledgement
The quickest way to demotivate someone is to show them their work is futile; to trap them in the Sisyphic Condition. In Greek Mythology, Sisyphus was the tyrannical king of Ephyra. He had angered the Gods. His punishment was to push a large boulder uphill. When the boulder was almost at the top, it would roll back down and force him to start over; the cycle to repeat eternally.
In the business world, there are a lot of heavy boulders to be pushed up hills. Finding meaning for those actions makes it enjoyable to turn up to work, day after day.
We all search for meaning. Part of this is an inherent need to better ourselves, to become more than we are today. As a leader, you can give people that meaning, no matter how many boulders need pushing. The simplest form of this is by acknowledging the work they’ve done. Whether it’s positive or negative, giving honest feedback shows people their work is and valued. It helps them the meaning of what they’ve done and how to do better.
Compassion
We all have lives outside of work where unexpected things can happen. If 2020 has reminded us anything, it’s that you can’t always anticipate what is to come. Having compassion for people when things aren’t going right is a reflection of strong leadership.
I distinctly remember being in a hospital room a few years ago. Someone I loved was in a bad way, and I needed to be there. My CMO at the time had my back every step of the way. She was pitching in to pick up the work, checking in with me to see how things were going. Reassuring me that work, and everything else would be OK. That CMO already had my loyalty, but her compassion cemented it for life.
Compassion doesn’t take much effort. It just requires treating each other like human beings; because we are.
There is an abundance of people who display leadership without ever having a C-Level Exec title; because leadership itself is much more than a title.
Freedom
Freedom is a gift. Some leaders give it; some take it away. Giving people freedom means treating them with trust and respect. It can also require a shift in the traditional way of measuring effectiveness. Many of us are used to the idea of measuring outputs. What activities has the team completed? What’s the volume of work?
Switching to an outcome-focused mindset, however, can create freedom for teams – and better results. Regardless of the hours of work and outputs, what has been achieved? Were team and company goals met? An outcome-focused leader relies on trusting, respecting, and supporting teams to manage activities; while keeping everyone on-track with the bigger-picture outcomes.
We probably all know a “Micromanager” or two. It’s an approach based on outputs and can be the fastest way to demonstrate a lack of trust. That’s more of a reflection on the leader, however, than the team. If you can’t trust your team, it’s indicative that you haven’t succeeded as a leader. The bottom line is that engaged, motivated, loyal people are also trustworthy.
If you’re having doubts, think about whether you’ve motivated, inspired, and supported your team. Have you taken the opportunities to operate with honesty, collaboration, and acknowledgement of peoples’ work? Have you acted with enough compassion to create loyalty?
Real followers are the ones that act freely, not the ones told to follow. And, real leaders are the ones who attract free followers.
Looking ahead
What will leadership look like for you in the year ahead? Will you change what you’ve done in the past? Or do more of what has proven to work already?
Wishing all leaders – the ones at work, in communities, and at home – every success in 2022.
If you’d like to know more about how an ERP solution can help your eCommerce business enhance the customer experience, shoot me an email. One of my clients is an award-winning cloud ERP solution provider that takes a unique, personalised approach to ERP implementation.
