Workplace culture is complex right? There are many variables that feed into it. Policies, procedures, ways of working, expectations of acceptable behaviour, employee engagement, psychological safety, communication, shared vision, values, purpose, belonging, respect and more.
And of course there is leadership. The good, the bad, and the average. We all remember the great leaders that we've had over the years. We definitely remember the bad ones. The average ones are buried somewhere in the depth of our minds too. In the words of Maya Angelou "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel". This quote resonates with me in the context of leadership.
Leaders are tasked with driving the business forward. Focusing on performance, engagement, customers, vision, values alignment, strategy and operations. And people.
Leaders come from different walks of life, with varying skills, levels of experience and individual drivers. Some are ego driven. Some humble. Many are highly skilled and up to the task with natural personality attributes to compliment their skills and experience. For some it is a learned skill which comes over time and with the right coaching and for others, well....they still have lots to learn (to put it kindly).
Leadership is not an easy role. There are hard calls to make, new strategies to develop, politics to navigate, problems to solve, complaints, performance issues, mental and physical health issues to deal with all whilst ensuring delivery against unrelenting performance goals and profitability targets.
So it's no surprise that leaders are often time poor and struggle at times to find balance and look after themselves and their wellbeing. Their own physical and mental health.
Leadership is also one of the most rewarding roles. Where you get to watch people develop and achieve their own goals. Where you advocate for your people and help them to manage mindset and confidence when they are doubting themselves. To let them know that you believe in them and that you have their back.
It's an honour to lead people. To be granted access into their personal lives when they choose to offer you a glimpse. To support people through their tough times, to celebrate with them in their happiest times. There will be tough conversations along the way. Never fun, but it's par for the course. It's the way that those conversations are handled that matter.
The traits that I value most in leaders are authenticity, self-awareness, showing that they care, compassion, respect, honesty, kindness and the ability to really listen and make someone else feel heard. I respect a leader who leads from the front but also keeps it real. Allows their human side to show. That makes them relatable to me. I don't need to see stoicism and professionalism at all times. Yes professionalism is important but so is humanity. I hope I have managed to be that for the people that I have led over the years, at least most of the time.
Leaders don't get it right all the time because... well they are human. No-one gets it right all the time. Leaders get stressed and sometimes it shows.
This is where self-awareness is important.
If leaders have practical tools and strategies in place to help them notice when they are getting stressed, then they have the opportunity to do something about it. Even better, if leaders proactively look after their wellbeing, so that they are fully resourced and ready to tackle the challenges at work, it takes those stress levels longer to build. The fuse is longer in effect.
Where we see leadership often go wrong, is where leaders fail to manage their own stress and wellbeing before they manage their people. It can be a recipe for disaster and we have all seen it play out from time to time.
So back the title of this blog. Leadership & stress and why it matters. Because leadership is a privilege and not one that should be taken lightly. Your people trust you. Be grateful for and careful with that trust.
If leaders can identify when they are not at their best, not fully resourced, when that fuse is getting short and when they need a break, that makes a difference. To them, to their people and to workplace culture.
What are some of your go to practical tools and strategies for managing stress and wellbeing as a leader?
Mindfulness is an excellent tool for increasing self awareness. I'd love to talk to your leadership team more about Mindful Leadership and how we can give your leaders space and time to learn some new skills to better look after themselves and their wellbeing. The goal being that they in turn can take care of their people and contribute in a positive and impactful way to your workplace culture.
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