The Case for Thoughtful Leadership

THE CASE FOR THOUGHTFUL LEADERSHIP?

Every leader I speak to these days mentions thoughtfulness at some point in the conversation. They may call it kindness, compassion or caring, but they all agree that in these challenging times we all need to be more mindful than ever of our behaviour towards others, and make an extra effort to be considerate when interacting with people.?

Stressful times can lead some people to allow knee-jerk reactions that they later regret. When people are fearful or feeling stressed, they can behave in ways that are not ideal. We all know this, and I have yet to meet anyone who has remained composed in every moment of their life!?

Understanding the other person is key, and so is managing our own reactions to unresourceful behaviour. I will discuss that a bit later in this book, but please remember that the only person you can truly control is yourself. It is with this in mind that I have put my ideas and insights here for you – only you – and I hope it encourages you to become more thoughtful – in both senses of the word.?

SOCIETY AND ITS CURRENT ISSUES?

No one would deny that we rely on technology and that our world is increasingly digital. The benefits are many: efficiency, cost savings, speed of communication, just to name a few. I remember when I started my career and I needed to go to the library to look at some big, heavy reference books and take notes of prospective client businesses I would then call from a desk phone once back in the office. Nowadays, I would simply search on my phone and click the link that shows up. Two minutes instead of two hours – unbelievable.?

However, the digital world brings its challenges too. Just because it is quick to find a phone number and call it, doesn’t mean we should click the link without doing any preparation. Just because we can shoot off a message or photo to a contact or group in any number of applications on our mobile phone, doesn’t mean we should forego any thought before sending it. Speed, ease of use and accessibility can be wonderful, or they can be dangerous. I suggest that we should remember to think before we speak, think twice before we write, and think three times before posting something online!?

The pandemic brought into sharp focus the challenges we face in business and society. In addition to the existing responsibilities of managing people, projects and budgets, we suddenly had to do our own jobs in a climate of fear, uncertainty and ever-increasing change. Luckily, we have all the technology to be able to do so much remotely or virtually, but most people were totally unprepared for the mental, emotional and interpersonal challenges that came with the new way of working.?

Business leaders who manage others had to make swift decisions at the beginning of 2020. While struggling with the obvious decisions regarding how to get the work done with team members working from home, leaders now needed to think about how to keep colleagues engaged and supported emotionally and mentally as well as practically. If you managed a virtual or remote team during that time, I applaud you. If you did your job while worrying about older relatives, your children, friends and colleagues and the future, I have even more respect for you. Hopefully you also applaud and respect yourself because it has not been an easy time by any means.

Our society, at least in the Western world, has become very focused on the individual. The ‘expert industry’ in which I admit my own brands operate, has created opportunities like never before. You can reach more people than ever with your products and services, story and message. While this is exciting for people who want to make their mark on the world, I’ve noticed that it takes people into a more competitive perspective. It’s hard to focus on being unique and outshining others, at the exact same time as feeling part of a bigger group or movement. It’s hard, but not impossible, if you truly care about making a difference.?

THE DIFFERENCE THOUGHTFUL LEADERSHIP MAKES?

Think of a thoughtful boss you have had at some point in your career. It doesn’t matter if they were your direct boss or several levels above you and it doesn’t matter how long ago it was; the impression they made is still with you. I remember Glen, my boss at one of my first jobs. I joined a new sales training team and after quite a steep learning curve of only a few months, we ran a six-day residential workshop where I was one of the trainers. I got lots of praise and encouragement during the training week, and then when I arrived home, there was a bunch of flowers waiting for me with a note saying “Congratulations! You did it!”?

Glen would always send a heartfelt and personal note when one of our team achieved something great and it created fantastic morale in the team, as well as fierce loyalty. We worked hard but we were happy to do it because we felt valued. Do you know someone who consistently recognises and praises others? Maybe you are that type of leader, or maybe you have a goal to be one.?

One thing is certain: thoughtfulness is never a waste of time. Putting more thought into your communications and interactions will pay dividends in terms of how you are perceived. This will, in turn, lead to more opportunities. Again, think of a boss, a colleague or team member who has been thoughtful to you and others. If you had an opportunity to offer them, or a chance to help them today, wouldn’t you be happy to do so??

I suspect the opposite is also true. If a leader doesn’t treat people with respect or consider their needs, when they need something, people will possibly be less likely to step up and help. Or they will do so grudgingly, out of a sense of obligation, and probably do the bare minimum. At the time of writing, KPMG UK chairman Bill Michael has just been in the news for telling 500 members of staff to ‘stop moaning’ about the effects of the pandemic and lockdown. Apparently, it was a sudden outburst and I’m sure the frustration had been building for a while. However, his words and behaviour have come across as lacking in thoughtfulness and there will be repercussions for him as well as the brand.?

I’m sure you have also seen this kind of behaviour in business. Become aware of others’ behaviour as well as your own because you can learn from both, and it’s especially helpful to notice the contrast between thoughtful and thoughtless leadership.?

THOUGHTFUL LEADERSHIP IS NOT JUST SELFLESS?

There are some other excellent reasons to consider being more thoughtful and they involve benefits for you. The first is chemical. You have probably heard about the feel-good hormones, such as oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine. Humans experience increased flow of these hormones during certain activities, such as exercise, hugging someone we love and meditation. It may surprise you to know that you can create a release of these hormones just by thinking about and caring about others, and especially with thoughtful words and gestures. So, you see, being thoughtful can be beneficial to you too, every time.?

When you are thoughtful in the other sense of the word, and you put considered thought into a project or important piece of communication, your clients see the extra care that went into it, and they appreciate it because it is showing respect for their time. You appreciate quality content that doesn’t waste your time, right? Well, so do your clients.?

You also gain a sense of achievement, pride and fulfilment by doing this. Think of the last time you experienced this, and it will relate to a situation or decision you made to put more thought into what you were doing and saying. The great news is, you know how to do this since you’ve done it before. But will you do it again? And again and again...?

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The above article is an excerpt from a book I was commissioned by Bookboon to write in 2021: Thoughtful Leadership in a Digital World .

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