Are You Leading from Frustration or Inspiration?
You've been in the trenches for years. You've built a team, navigated challenges, and achieved success. But lately, a nagging feeling persists. Are you leading from a place of frustration and fear, or inspiration and care?
It's a question seasoned leaders rarely ask themselves directly, but it's a crucial one. The energy you project has a profound impact on your team.
What are the signs that your leadership comes from a place of frustration?
Here's how to tell the difference:
Leading from Frustration
Focus on Mistakes - You find yourself dwelling on errors, resorting to micromanagement and blame.
Words as Weapon - Your communication is laced with sarcasm, negativity, and criticism.
Innovation Stalled - You're hesitant to take risks, clinging to "the way things have always been done."
Team Morale Plummets - Your frustration breeds a tense environment, hindering productivity and creativity.
Leading from Inspiration
How can you start leading from inspiration instead?
Empowerment Over Control - You trust your team's capabilities, providing guidance and support instead of dictating every step.
Positive Reinforcement - You celebrate successes, big and small, fostering a sense of accomplishment and growth.
Embracing Challenges - You see obstacles as opportunities for innovation, encouraging calculated risks.
A Culture of Care - You prioritize open communication, psychological safety, and well-being, fostering a collaborative spirit.
Shifting Your Leadership Style
The good news is, leadership can be learned. Recognizing frustration as a driving force is the first step. Here's how to move towards inspiration:
Self-Reflection - Take time to identify the source of your frustration. Is it workload, fear of failure, or unmet expectations?
Renew Your Vision - Remind yourself of your team's purpose and the positive impact you aim to have.
Invest in Communication - Practice active listening and create a safe space for open dialogue.
Celebrate Growth - Foster a culture of learning by highlighting progress over perfection.
Leading with inspiration and care isn't about pretending everything is sunshine and rainbows. It's about acknowledging challenges with a positive outlook and fostering a collaborative environment where everyone thrives.
Remember, you're not just the leader, you're the one setting the tone for the entire team. Choose inspiration. Choose care. Choose to be the leader your team deserves.
Leadership Practice
How can you know whether you're leading from frustration or inspiration?
Take time this week to reflect on a recent interaction you had with your team and focus on the type of language you used. Was the focus on mistakes? How was your tone?
Right down 3 key characteristics of the interaction that you want to improve and consider how leading from inspiration could help.
About Athena
Athena Williams, Founder and CEO of Tenacious Leadership Institute, has been supporting leaders worldwide to become more tenacious for over 20 years. She has found that tenacity is the key to sustained leadership success in today’s ever-changing world. Through her coaching and leadership development programs, she helps leaders expertly handle change, complexity and other challenges so they can quickly get better results for themselves, their teams and their organizations. Take the first step to becoming a tenacious leader by scheduling a call with us.
