This morning my phone rang early. I wasn’t expecting a call, but I also wasn’t expecting that on the other end was a bright and accomplished leader whose tolerance for her boss had expired.
We all have good days and bad days, however, if you are a leader of leaders, it’s important to evaluate the impact you have on your team. A self-centered leader puts themselves first and their team somewhere down the line. A servant leader focuses on their team first and themselves somewhere down the line. What kind of a leader are you?
I’ve been a fan of Servant Leadership for a long time. Here are some characteristics they typically exhibit:
Active Listening: Eliciting feedback from their followers
Empathy: Understanding the emotions of others
Awareness: Recognizing their impact on the environment
Persuasion: Influencing others through persuasion vs. authority
Vision: Translating vision into strategies teams can get behind
Growth: Committed to the professional growth of their teams
Community: Building community and mutual commitment
While this isn’t an all-inclusive list, the point is to focus on your team. How they perform is a reflection of your leadership.
So, what happened with the caller this morning? Our conversation went something like this:
Although the caller was ready to give up, we talked about recognizing one’s own accomplishments and building on them.
Be careful not to follow in the footsteps of your leader. Focus on what you can do to help your team be high performing. Your leadership and results will speak for themselves. Breathe, don’t jump to quick conclusions. Recognize what’s working and continue the good work you and your team are doing.
Do something for yourself outside of work. Find ways to replace the energy your boss takes from you.
When all else fails, begin to explore possibilities. Take your time, figure out what you want in a new position, and explore before jumping too fast.
When turnover happens, sometimes it’s because of your leadership style. Take time to check in with your teams. Ask them how you’re doing as their leader and ask what they need from you.
With a limited talent pool, none of us can risk losing talent needlessly.