5 days ago
Leadership As A Daily Discipline
Barbara Puszkiewicz-Cimino is a digital marketing and MarTech strategist with a passion for leveraging technology to drive business growth.
Have you ever found yourself worrying when you are about to start a new position at the organization you wanted to join so much for so many years and the biggest of your worries is who you are going to be working with, will you be lucky enough to get a mentor in your supervisor or will you struggle to understand the ways and behaviors of those around you. This raises the question: Is leadership a behavior you embody or a title and position you receive as part of your employment?
When we are put in a position of leadership, we are way away from being even halfway where we need to be—leaders for people around us. There is no time for moods; the only time and thing we should focus on is how to be there for those around us, so that, together, we can position our organization for success.
Too often, we find ourselves in situations where a personal agenda at the leadership level prevails. What is it that makes us disconnect from being present for the organization and focus on being present for ourselves? Why do we no longer allow ourselves the space for humility? Why is it no longer OK to be wrong? If there were ever a time when those were allowed, it would be now. Consistency, humility and a daily commitment to do as you preach are what we all look for in a leader.
It ultimately comes down to managing the tension between achieving the results and how we care for those who drive the results.
Your Role From The Start
If we all agree that leadership can be learned, then we must follow through with understanding that it must be practiced. There are tried-and-true techniques used across all continents and time zones that have proven effective.
Starting with nonviolent communication, it is the cornerstone when it comes to empathy and using understanding as a key tactic in conversations.
The famous 'one minute manager' enables us to practice microhabits in praise, behavior change and supporting growth.
The practice of taking full responsibility without relying on blame or ego, or extreme ownership, opens us up to a way of thinking that some of us may have never encountered before.
When it comes to leadership, we often jump to understanding the process of leading down, the team that you are responsible for, which is usually the most straightforward path, but also one where those habits of yours are the most visible. Setting clear expectations and ensuring psychological safety for those who work with you and rely on you is key. The feedback you provide, along with how you approach it, helps your team feel secure and avoids the pitfalls of micromanagement.
Leading From The Top
Leading across comes down to the level of the hierarchy that you find yourself in and more of the influence that you need to learn to acquire. This now becomes about aligning rather than giving directions, and ensuring that honoring different perspectives is key. If you are ever looking for tools to help you with this type of leadership, nonviolent communication can come in handy for sure.
Finally, leading up, your leaders need to start with the understanding that the ego has to stay outside the door. You need to play the game of supporting while ensuring your voice is not lost. The nuances in how the challenges are presented and the ability to frame feedback constructively will all go a long way for you. Those of us who can lead up effectively do that by building trust through accountability and not through blame.
Yes, results matter today, they always have, but so do the people. It should not be either/or, because if your people know they matter, the results will come in the ever-evolving balance when it comes to delivering for the organization. Putting people front and center will make those results possible. We have all been in places where people are forgotten, and the end result is burnout, turnover and those short-term wins that ultimately destroy the long-term organizational culture.
You can absolutely challenge the performance while still leading with empathy, and that is what the most effective leaders do themselves. I refuse to believe that we need to choose between kindness and competence.
Is it easy? No. Is it doable? Yes.
Knowing What You Need
Leadership is the insight job of one before it becomes a team effort. CEOs needs to work on themselves before they can be effective. The understanding that once we find ourselves in a position of leadership does not automatically make us leaders, and the long road ahead of us to become the leaders we always wanted to be is challenging.
Not underestimating the importance of regulating your emotional response, clarifying your engagement in constant reflection, are key elements to sustaining integrity and leadership over time. As leaders, we must be able to set our egos aside and recognize our own limits, own our own triggers and ask for help when we need it.
Having answers is one thing, but aligning on answers and how we implement them is what the true leader should prioritize, maintaining the posture that the organization and its people expect and need from us. Every day, as we walk through the door, we should constantly reflect on how we do things. Are we showing up today in the right way? Are we, as leaders, driving outcomes?
I want to be remembered as a leader for how I made others feel while building things, not just for what I built.
Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
