Don’t forget what it takes to be a leader.

Our working environments are becoming increasingly complex, and the pace of change continues to accelerate. This means that time for contemplation and self-reflection is often difficult to find. In the absence of prioritising our work and making time we run the risk of racing deeper into a vortex of disorganisation and chaos. That’s not a great place to be when you are responsible for leading people. Additionally, the impact on self, others (including our people and our families), organisations and communities can be significant.

Grab the handbrake (or footbrake) and put a momentary stop to the wild ride.

I recently took the time to reflect on the things that I consider most important to me as a leader and the traits and behaviours I look for in other leaders. I’ve summarised the main elements below to remind myself, as much as anything, about what’s important.

First and foremost is setting a clear and compelling purpose for my people. This helps guide you and your team and assist them to understand the ‘why’ behind their work. It’s so important to define the strategic target and create a sense of certainty.

Connect the work to a broader mission or vision to provide context. In doing this we need to appreciate that organisations are complex systems with many interconnected parts, they also operate within broader ecosystems. Our role as a leader is to influence and shape the system, not to try and control it. You will perish on the rock of hard effort if you lose the plot and try to control the system. ??

When engaging with your team appreciate the importance of good, clear, timely and honest communication and the role of trust. After all, trust is the foundation of any successful team. Trust can be built by being honest, transparent, and reliable. Tip – always align messaging with demonstrated behaviours and actions. A failure to do so will break trust. Once broken it’s very difficult to repair. ?

If you can set the course for your team and be clear about expectations and purpose, empower them to get the job done. Empower them to take ownership of their work and provide opportunities for them to stretch and to develop. Providing them with the autonomy to do their work increases feelings of self-worth, encourages engagement with risk and leads to healthier relationships and better outcomes. It makes sense really. ?

We know the importance of having diversity in our workforce composition, and the rubber hits the road when you embrace and create an inclusive workplace. Understand your workforce, appreciate the diversity it provides and allow for, enable, and support the involvement of your entire workforce. A place where respect is common, and all people are safe to express themselves can achieve great things.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly check yourself. Don’t get too big for your boots. Recognise that no one has all the answers, be open to learning from your team and admit when you make mistakes. Be a human and practice humility!