Do Less And Be More
Less is more!
A great maxim I learned over and over in my trainings as a psychotherapist, coach and trainer. Get out of your own way and you get out of your client’s or group’s way. It’s all about them, not you.
Unless, of course, you want to be the sort of leader who acts like the worst kind of guru or super star. Showmanship, power trip and little substance.
Having set the vision and outlined the outcome, trust your ‘group’ to achieve it. Be available for consultation where needed and, when it is, be a coach. It’s not an opportunity to show how clever you are. It’s an opportunity to be of service. To help your people expand their abilities and their own Inner Leadership.
Unless, of course, you want to be the sort of leader who gets their rocks off with control and power over others. The sort of leader who constantly interferes, disables their people and creates dependance on themself as leader. ‘They need me!’ Who says???
Create clear and wholesome relationship which offers potential for others to respond similarly. Act unselfishly and they’ll respond by simply doing what it is that needs to be done.
Unless, of course, you want to be the sort of leader who manipulates rather than influences. The kind of leader who’s always got a hidden agenda. The kind of leader who’s always out for ‘what’s in it for me?’
Personal development is essential for good leadership.
The ability to lead yourself, to make choices about who you are and how you behave is essential for good leadership. The ability to disable your historic behavioural reactions, narcissistic needs and the dramas they create is essential for good leadership.
Good leadership is always, always about doing less and being more!
Good post, Sharon. It’s sad that there’s still this notion out there that becoming a leader means you’re now the focal point of everything around you. That may be what some bosses are, but a true leader understands their role is to be in service of those around them, to guide them in fulfilling their objectives to the benefit of the greater whole.
Couldn’t agree with you more, Tanveer, and appreciate you underlining that point.
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Excellent points Sharon. Helicopter management is quite often rooted in the leader’s insecurities to let his team get on with it (without himà rather than as you say simply being there when needed! Well stated!
Thank you, Dorothy. Appreciate your comment. And you’ve hit on one of my favourite ‘oh no!’s. Helicopter management and/or blue sky thinking. Let’s all run for cover!
Sharon,
An excellent post, thank-you. I couldn’t agree more with your comments describing the leaders who ‘do less’ and trust in their team to deliver and coach them to that delivery. The opposite (traditional?) view that has leaders knowing and doing everything at all times of the day can work for a while I guess but is never sustainable.
Paul
Thank you, Paul, for your valuable point. Not ecological OR sustainable for sure.