Issue #36: On Being Authentic, the Biggest Impact a Leader Has, and More
If you’d prefer, listen to this issue here.
INSIGHTS (on leadership/self-leadership)
You worked hard to rise up the ranks, to get into “the room where it happens.” But are you fully, authentically you, when you’re in the room where it happens? Or has your organization stripped you of authenticity along the way (as a sort of perverse price to pay to get where you are)? Research shows if so, you wouldn’t be alone, as one-third of employees feel they must suppress their values at work. Don’t let this be you. Here’s a code of conduct for showing up authentic:
• Be a beacon of:
- transparency, honesty, and integrity
• Be worthy of:
- belief and trust
• Behave:
- in a genuine, down-to-earth, and approachable manner (no matter the conditions)
- in support of, not in spite of, your values
- with humility, humanity, and vulnerability
• Be beholden to:
- employees who speak truth, expose issues, and admit mistakes (and do so yourself)
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• Be the first to:
- give credit away and accept blame
• Be a provider of:
- reality and hope
- a safe haven for taking risks and venting frustrations
IMPERFECTIONS (a mistake many make)
Many leaders, understandably, give the most attention to either the stars on their team, or the worst underperformers. But the biggest impact managers can have comes not from watering the tallest sunflower, or pulling the weeds, but from moving that big swath in the middle of their organization, that 80% that are doing "just fine." That group that’s good, but not fully great. Yet. Investing time to move that middle along the performance and development spectrum is some of the best ROI you’ll see in any business. It’s worth your attention and intention.
IMPLEMENTATION (one research-backed strategy, tip, or tool)
To keep things in perspective in the face of setbacks, remember “The Distance Principle.” It says, “Your progress to date has moved you so much farther forward than your mis-step has moved you back.” It’s called a mis-step, not a mis-leap, for a reason. We tend to catastrophize how far a setback, well, sets us back. Think of it as a math equation: the distance you’ve come so far minus the mis-step (not mis-leap) is still SO great relative to where you started from. That distance is something to be proud of – thus, The Distance Principle. Don’t lose that perspective when it feels like you’ve lost your way.
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Through my LinkedIn Learning courses and workshops, I help business professionals get their point across and drive change. || Communication Educator and Coach, LinkedIn Learning Author
2yThanks, Scott! I'm going to share the Distance Principle with my students. It's the end of the semester, final grades are posting, and some are feeling as though they've mis-leaped in stead of mis-stepped. So helpful!
Sustainability and ESG Champion | Research And Development Specialist
2yThanks a lot, I highly appreciate it 😊😇 Yet just wait for me to answer how and why those misleading decisions took place primarily🙏🙏