WHAT WEATHER ARE YOU BRINGING WITH YOU?

Becoming a leader of a large company at a young age was a dream come true,?but I’m the first to admit it came with its fair share of challenges and steep learning curves.

I remember when I first started, I would lie awake at night thinking about the immense responsibility I’d found myself with, wondering if this was really what I wanted, and of course, in the early hours of the morning, in those sleepless moments, I found myself riddled with doubt and homesickness.

Living on the other side of the world away from my family meant that one of my only respites was the early morning call I’d manage to squeeze in with my mum. This, of course, meant an early start, and so I found myself going into the office most mornings at 7.30.

I had a lovely office with a DOOR – something which was my most prized possession because it meant I could hide away in those moments of overwhelm and try to block out the stress of the role.

The only problem with my office was that it was located at the very back of the building, which meant I had to walk through an entire open-plan office filled with people.

At that age and life stage, it genuinely felt like running a gauntlet.

Every morning when the lift doors would open, I could feel hundreds of eyes on me, as I walked through a sea of heads popping up from behind their computers. I’d try my best to get through what felt like Meerkat Manor as quickly as possible so I could get to the haven of my office to shut the door.

I remember always thinking to myself, ‘Why are they all looking at me and staring?!”

It genuinely confused me and made my stress worse.

It took me a long time to realise what was going on, but eventually it hit me:

They’re looking at me because I am the weather system.

People were looking at me in the mornings to assess what kind of mood I was in because that would set the office climate of the day. Depending on how I showed up on any given day would determine whether it was a good time to ask for that annual leave, whether sharing some not-so-great news was a good idea, and generally just the way the day was going to play out for them.

And I wasn’t even aware of it.

As Leaders, our emotional state can have the most influence over the office climate. The "emotional wind" generated by the leader can either propel the team forward with a sense of purpose and determination or blow them off course with uncertainty and doubt. As a leader, recognising the power of your emotions and using them to steer the team in the right direction is essential for a successful and harmonious workplace.

But it's important to remember that the weather we bring to the office goes beyond the Leaders. As human beings, we naturally pick up on each other's moods and emotions. The way we are feeling is quite literally contagious.

Once I became aware that this is what was going on, I knew I had to work on my own emotional awareness and management. I couldn't afford to let my doubts, stress, or homesickness dictate the office climate and impact my team's morale and performance.

This ended up becoming one of my biggest leadership lessons, and I became determined to become a more mindful Leader, and the first port of call was the process of connecting with myself.

Each day, I would take a few moments to check in with my emotions and set a positive intention for the day ahead. I also started embracing short breaks throughout the day to recharge and maintain a clear mind.

This process of connecting with myself first put me in better stead to show up and connect with others, and over time, this allowed me to navigate through any challenging situations with a level head and respond to my team with empathy and understanding.

So, ask yourself:

What energy are you bringing into the workplace each day?

Take a moment to self-reflect and consider the impact your mood may have on your team and colleagues.

If you'd like to learn more about Contagious Leadership, and my 'Connected Leader's System' - I'd love to chat!

BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL WITH CELESTE TODAY

JOIN THE CONNECTED COLLECTIVE

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM