LEADERS, YOU MAY BE OVERDOING IT… HERE’S WHY
Leaders are always looking for ways to inspire and motivate their people to drive results, stay engaged and give their best. In wanting to navigate the ongoing rapid changes and disruptions in the arena of global business, I often get asked by my clients how they can become masterful communicators, persuasive speakers, and impactful negotiators.
Whereas developing the competencies that enable you to communicate, influence and inspire your people are critical to your leadership success, they don’t deserve the hype they sometimes get.
The list of capabilities that leaders need to work on is big and complex. What we often miss is the fact that what our people across all the levels in the organization are asking for is clarity and simplicity, because without a clear, simple roadmap, you don’t know where you are going.
As I reflect on the many conversations I have every day with people from all over the world who serve in different leadership and support capacities, these two words – clarity and simplicity – capture their longings as well.
While change has always been a natural part of life’s unfolding, it hasn’t always moved as fast as it does now. Yet it’s probably not going to slow down, at least in the foreseeable future.
The faster things move, the more confused we become. Lines of separation or distinction increasingly blur. As the complexity deepens, people everywhere are longing for clear understanding of what is happening and a simple, straightforward way to approach life and work.
So how do we get there? How do we find clarity within the confusion of all that is happening? How do we find simple and straightforward ways to move forward? And is there a more effortless way to navigate through uncertainty and complexity?
Before you begin adding more tools or skills to your portfolio, consider this: when everything on the outside is constantly changing, look within yourself first and foremost. While we may not be able to find clarity and simplicity in our situations and circumstances right away, we can find clarity and simplicity within ourselves. It starts with knowing who we are and why we are here.
The better we know ourselves – the more tuned in we are to our own inner processes and experiences – the clearer we can be on what is important to us and where it will serve us to spend our time and energy.
It’s not just about what we can do – it’s about what we feel called to do. It’s about what brings us alive – what we long to bring to the world, and where we find the greatest sense of personal fulfillment and reward.
In other words, the more we know ourselves, the clearer and simpler life becomes. We practice putting our attention on situations and circumstances where we can make an impact – where we have a good chance of making a difference – and letting go of the rest.
It doesn’t mean that we don’t care about what is happening. And it doesn’t mean that the confusion and complexity within our circumstances or situations necessarily goes away.
What it does mean is that we are no longer looking for clarity and simplicity outside of us because we have found it inside of us. We know who we are, we know why we’re here, and we keep taking steps towards fulfilling that mission and vision. Instead of looking for clarity in our situations and circumstances, we look from a place of clarity inside of ourselves.
We are all players in this big complex game of life. The clearer we become as individuals and the simpler and more straightforward our own thoughts and actions, the better chance we have of navigating these complex and disruptive times in a calm and focused way. And the bonus just might be that our own clarity and simplicity will begin to spill over into our circumstances and situations as well.
As a leader, ask yourself three questions: Does the team feel inspired? Does the team have clarity on direction? Does the team have enough support?
Yes, there are thousands of books, courses and articles discussing leadership methodologies and numerous ways to help you inspire your people. And yet, there isn’t one perfect approach to leading. Each team has its own personality, rhythm, and nuances. Start by finding clarity and simplicity within in a complex and confusing world, and watch communicate it in simple terms to your people, so they can propel forward.
P.S. If you need some help getting started, reach out for a free, no obligation consultation. And if you enjoyed this blog post and found it helpful or inspiring, please share it with your friends and colleagues on social media. You are also welcome to make a comment below.
To your success,
Isabel
Isabel is an experienced Peak Performance Strategist with over 20 years of international work experience holding senior positions within the hospitality industry in countries around the world, as well as Executive and Leadership coaching, mentoring and training.
She specializes in high performance strategy, leadership development and building organizational culture to help leaders and their teams learn, grow and succeed.
Isabel is passionate about helping empower business leaders with the mindset, performance, skills and strategies that they need to get ahead.
More available on www.isabelvalle.com
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