Everyone wants to be a balanced and fair leader, but day-to-day responsibilities can throw us off course or interrupt our ability to stay focused on our leadership goals.
These five tips from Forbes about how to be a balanced leader are outstanding reminders as we launch into a new school year.
Inspire your team while including them. Seldom does a group of random people decide to pursue a common goal or ambition. It all starts with a sense of urgency. Sometimes the leader feels a pain (“We need to do something about …”) or just has a creative idea (“It would be great if…”). Whatever the reason, you need to be able to show people a result that does not exist. They need to be on board and believe in your vision. People who become leaders are often able to inspire others with a reality that doesn’t exist. Part of building out a vision or story for success involves including anyone listening as a participant, a character within this story.
Manage your team with good intentions. People often have an unrealistic positive view of themselves. The same can also be said of their view of the world. However, this makes them happier and often healthier as a person. Why does this matter? Well, in a business or working environment, people may overestimate their impact, work, influence and chances of success. This is why we need to have metrics, measure outcomes and have discussions about goals, ambition, development and a realistic self-image.
There’s a big difference between the intention of an action and its effect. If you speak with someone about their performance, the effect could be that they’re offended or disappointed. However, the only parts you have control over are your intentions. Try to be aware of your intentions. Tell others what you’re trying to accomplish with their best interests in mind.
Understand your team through focused questioning. You might believe you have all the knowledge and wisdom in the world. And that might be (partially) true. But probably not. So let’s assume that your perspective isn’t the only one. How do you collect other people’s ideas? How do you learn how to understand others? The solution sounds easy – by asking them – but that might be difficult if you just ask for feedback. Feedback will only give you an idea of what the other person sees. It’s only their perspective. Leaders should understand the concept of “feedforward.” Asking empty questions never helps. Giving a focused goal and asking for suggestions does.
When speaking with people within your organization, they might be impressed by your status and position. Just chatting with them could result in compliments and confirmation of your perspective. Ask people a focused question like, “I would like to create a safer working environment within our organization – do you have a couple of suggestions for me?” Learn not to respond. Just thank the people for their suggestions. A week later, tell them what you did with it. This approach can create a culture where you make it clear that you welcome others’ suggestions.
Understand yourself. Leaders tend to understand what the price for success is – late nights, stress, sacrificing a work-life balance. But in lots of cases, leaders build up a “psychological debt” of unspoken and unprocessed emotions and thoughts. Understanding yourself and your biological timeline is key to becoming a balanced leader. Try to answer some simple questions: “You strive for success, growth and results. When will it be enough?” or “What is the price your family members pay for your success? And did you ask their permission for it?” Knowing your limits is key.
Develop yourself. Everything alive that functions and grows. So should leaders. The day you stop developing is the day you’re dysfunctional as a leader. Developing doesn’t just mean educating yourself. Knowledge is only part of the equation and you’re probably already ahead of the game. Influencing your behavior and creating a positive impact on personal relationships almost always is the most neglected area. Try to make a business plan for yourself, for your inner workings. Imagine being 65 years old: Where are you? Who’s there with you? What are you striving for? And what do you need to do today in order to get what you want by 65?