Leaders and Situational Awareness
Patti Blackstaffe
Executive Leadership Accelerator and Advisory for Digital Transformation and Technology Leaders. | Author, Keynote Speaker, Consultant | Founder and CEO
In my LinkedIn post today, I talk about facilitation and working to see, hear, and feel what is going on in the room in order to ensure all voices are heard and people are empowered to participate.
Leaders are facilitators. They facilitate people meeting their deliverables, they empower people to achieve work that leads to the core purpose of the organization, they facilitate resources so people CAN achieve.
With an increase in Work From Home and Hybrid environments, how we lead must shift.
Along with empathy and vulnerability, situational awareness is a leadership skill that is rising in importance. Learning how to see, hear, and feel what is going on in the virtual room, with the virtual team may sound impossible, but it isn't.
Observational skills are higher in empathetic leaders because their focus is about understanding how others are experiencing the team dynamic and company values. What changes the game is when leaders become stronger observers combining a pinpoint focus with a big picture view.
Everything is connected. The leader that observes and listens becomes more attuned to their people. Situational awareness goes hand in hand with leading better meetings, designing better strategic goals, and obtaining the kind of feedback that keeps a product or a service relevant to the experience of the customer.
The goal is to pay attention to contribution, knowledge, insight, and feedback. To open the door to collaborative ideas, a leader can accomplish more in less time if they are situationally aware as to how people on their team and those on other teams are bringing value to the table.
A leader without the capability of situational awareness may be creating challenges of which they are unaware. They may not be creating safe places for their staff or taking over with opinion, rather than gathering information. They may be causing disengagement and frustration among the quiet members of staff.
If you want to learn more about how to hone these skills, it is addressed in my new book - sign up to hear about the book, set to launch in 2021. The newsletter is specific to book announcements but also puts you on the list for the free tools and give-aways associated with the launch.
