Leadership is the art of making sacrifices.
Personal, team, or organizational resignations. Resignations that relate to behaviors, actions, or processes. Resignations that are often outdated patterns or good intentions that have expired.
In any case, even if it hurts, or we think we will be exposed or questioned, it is essential to bet on what we know is no longer appropriate.
Below are some habits you may have at a professional level, in case you are interested in reducing or even eliminating them.
Up to you.
Give up being so much of a leader-consultant and become more of a leader-coach.
Don't give so many instructions or dictate what needs to be done, and lead more by asking questions so that team members can reflect and find their own answers to enhance their proactivity.
Give up defending and protecting “your people”.
The people on your team aren't "your people" (they're contributors to the organization, not just your department), and they don't need to be defended against other departments. Help build bridges instead of fostering silos or polarization.
Give up being the public face of your area.
Take a step back so the team can take a step forward. Even if your peers or your manager look to you for guidance, don't be afraid to redirect them to other members of the team. They are the experts in their field and will appreciate you giving them the spotlight. This won't make you dispensable; instead, it will strengthen your cross-functional and strategic leadership.
Give up having to appear confident at all times and always be right as the person in charge.
Being open to being corrected or taught, even by your colleagues, is a sign of vulnerability, which is a clear indicator of courageous and honest leadership that inspires others.
Give up accumulating projects or tasks to be done.
Understanding that, although the environment pushes you to do many things and control them all so that nothing goes wrong, there will come a time when this will not be viable, so it is key not to deceive yourself and start learning to discard actions or projects for not being so essential.
Stop comparing so much.
Humans are comparison machines. We compare managers, collaborators, performance, teams, moments, and so on. We must recognize that by comparing, we often weaken one side, disregarding its contribution. As leaders, we must reduce our tendency to compare. Our environment will benefit, and at the same time, we will empower both sides.
Give up so many meetings.
We've internalized the idea that being a leader means meeting with people more than sitting behind a computer working alone. This doesn't mean all meetings are timely or useful. Knowing how to distinguish between essential meetings to attend and those to skip requires a lot of discipline. Sometimes we attend to please others, to get more information than we need, or to make sure things get done. Asking ourselves if we're attending a meeting creatively (to create value) or reactively (to avoid missing something) can help us make better choices.
Stop outsourcing the management of your professional schedule.
Many leaders have people manage their schedules. Does this really take up so much of their time when, ultimately, they're just acting as intermediaries? Is it possible to learn to organize effectively and focus on what needs to be on the agenda when the person isn't managing their own schedule? What other, more valuable activities could those who manage their leaders' schedules perform?
There are certainly many more behaviors or actions that we can give up in order to continue growing as leaders.
The important thing is to start by choosing a specific resignation that can make a difference now.
Which sacrifice will you focus on to grow as a leader?
You may enter an uncomfortable and unfamiliar zone during an adjustment period, but you will eventually integrate a new dynamic that will provide you with much more energy in your leadership.
Contact us if you want to promote collective and sustainable leadership within your organization.
Enric Arola
