How can you balance being supportive and directive in peer leadership roles?

1 Know your role

Before you start leading your peers, you need to understand your role and responsibilities. Are you a mentor, a coach, a facilitator, or a manager? What are the goals and outcomes of your peer leadership role? How are you evaluated and supported by your organization or program? Knowing your role will help you define your scope, limits, and expectations for yourself and your peers. It will also help you communicate clearly and confidently about your role and avoid role confusion or conflict.

2 Build trust and rapport

Trust and rapport are essential for any effective relationship, especially in peer leadership roles. You want your peers to respect you, listen to you, and follow your guidance, but you also want them to feel comfortable, safe, and valued by you. To build trust and rapport , you need to be authentic, honest, and respectful. You need to show interest and empathy for your peers, their challenges, and their successes. You need to acknowledge their strengths and contributions, and provide constructive feedback and recognition. You also need to be consistent, reliable, and accountable for your actions and words.

3 Adapt your style

Different situations and different peers may require different styles of leadership. Sometimes, you may need to be more supportive and empowering, and other times, you may need to be more directive and instructive. To adapt your style, you need to assess the needs, preferences, and readiness of your peers, as well as the context, urgency, and complexity of the task or issue. You need to use a variety of skills and strategies, such as active listening, questioning, affirming, challenging, modeling, demonstrating, explaining, suggesting, directing, or delegating. You also need to be flexible and responsive to feedback and changes.

4 Seek feedback and support

Peer leadership roles can be stressful and demanding, and you may not always know if you are doing a good job or if you are meeting the needs and expectations of your peers. To improve your skills and performance, you need to seek feedback and support from different sources. You can ask your peers for their opinions, suggestions, and concerns about your leadership style and actions. You can also seek feedback and support from your supervisors, mentors, or other peer leaders who can offer you guidance, advice, or encouragement. You can also use self-reflection and evaluation tools to assess your strengths and areas for improvement.

5 Maintain boundaries and balance

One of the most difficult aspects of peer leadership roles is maintaining boundaries and balance between your personal and professional relationships with your peers. You may have friends, colleagues, or acquaintances among your peers, and you may want to maintain or enhance those relationships. However, you also need to respect and uphold your role and responsibilities as a peer leader, and avoid favoritism, bias, or conflict of interest. To maintain boundaries and balance, you need to be clear and transparent about your role and expectations, and separate your personal and professional interactions. You also need to respect your peers' privacy, confidentiality, and autonomy, and avoid overstepping or over-involving yourself in their personal or professional matters.

6 Celebrate and appreciate

Peer leadership roles can be rewarding and fulfilling, and you should not forget to celebrate and appreciate your achievements and your peers' achievements. You and your peers are working hard to learn, grow, and succeed, and you should acknowledge and celebrate your progress and accomplishments. You should also appreciate the opportunity and privilege of being a peer leader, and the trust and respect that your peers have for you. You should also appreciate the diversity and richness of your peers, their perspectives, and their experiences, and the learning and growth that they offer you. Celebrating and appreciating will help you enhance your motivation, satisfaction, and relationship with your peers.