27 Jun TODAY’S CEO CHALLENGE. WHAT IS LEADERSHIP REALLY ALL ABOUT?
A senior leader shared with me last week the challenges they felt being in a leadership role. They summarised it with this statement: ‘I simply don’t know what leadership is all about anymore’.
This is from an experienced leader.
It is a point worth reflecting on. There is a lot of confusion in the world now. Chaos and uncertainty. Reminiscent of a few years ago when the world was in a state of flux, massive change and uncertainty because of the pandemic.
Today, we do not have a pandemic. We do have an increase in political unrest and war, compromised supply chains, generational diversity in the workforce, dubious decision making and agendas from ‘leaders’ in some parts of the world, a rapidly changing world of work, and the incredible and growing impact of AI in all aspects of our life and work.
I can understand why leaders might be wondering what their role is.
- How can they make a difference?
- What are they supposed to focus on?
- What is it to be a leader in this dynamically evolving, complex, complicated, brittle, uncertain world?
Let me turn it around.
What do you think being a leader is all about today?
If you are a leader, reflection is one of the easiest opportunities you can create for the development of your leadership. Reflection offers a pause, so you can gather information, and insight about yourself and your leadership. You can check in with what is working, or not. How you are feeling. What your energy is like. How you are showing up every day. The difference you are making. Where you add value. And so on.
You can use this information and any insights to move forward with your leadership.
In your reflections, you might realise there are some tasks and activities that leaders may have done in the past yet are no longer required because there is an AI solution or tool for that.
Yet there remains so much space for leaders to continue to add the difference. The human difference. To leverage their universal human skills to make the difference, to have impact.
Creating connection and building trust, having the important conversations, bringing people together to work through a solution, find a pathway forward or pursue an opportunity, fostering culture and relationships that are based on aligned values and shared purpose. These are the things that support your people to operate at their best.
As you go to work, your top responsibility should be to build trust.”
– Robert Eckert, Former CEO, Mattel
When you are reflecting on your own leadership. Reflecting on how you can be a leader in your current context, consider this, ‘what do you need from your leader?’
In understanding what you need, you may gain insight into what your people need from you as their leader.
Your people want to know you are the leader. They want your leadership to be visible, so they have some certainty in it. They are looking for you to lead them. They are not necessarily seeking confirmation that you have all the answers. They are seeking certainly that you are leading them to find the answers, to create the future, to work and champion on their behalf.
They want to trust in your leadership.
Yet trust in senior leadership is rapidly declining. 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer Report
When leaders show up with consistency and create certainty in their leadership they develop not only trust, they also create hope.
Hope for the future.
Hope for solutions.
Hope for a pathway forward.
Hope for progress.
Hope for difference.
“Every person needs a place that is furnished with hope.”
- Maya Angelou
#thecoachingleader #leadershipcoach #executivecoach #leadership #leaderascoach #thenewleader #selfleadership #selfcoaching #firstleadyourself #linkedintopvoices #staceyashley #ashleycoaching #amazonbestseller #speaker #author #leadershipdevelopment #management #showup21 #powerup #youreonmute #professionalwomen #personaldevelopment