In leadership, simplicity often works best. Thus one liners such as “leaders teach” are valuable for their simplicity and effectiveness. Some appointed “leaders” try to avoid the teaching role required of good and great leaders. However, teaching is essential for effective leadership because the development of others is likewise essential for the growth of the individual and especially for the growth and success of the team and organization.
Last week we lost a distinguished American leaders, trailblazer, and military officer. I greatly admired Colin Powell for not only his incredible leadership. I admired him, and still do, for his honesty, integrity, and courage to do what he felt was right. Even when it meant admitting he had been wrong or he chose to go against popular opinion.
Simone Biles certainly captured the headlines about a month ago with her decision to withdraw, citing her mental health, and a case of the “twisties”. Her honesty and candor aid in continuing important conversations about humanity, empathy, and self-care. I want to talk about something else. I want to talk about WHAT made it possible for Biles to share her struggles and difficult decisions with the entire world.
As the world opens up and we welcome some sense of normalcy back into our lives, navigating a post-pandemic world will continue to be incredibly stressful, and at times overwhelming. I would even go as far to say that leading yourself and caring for your mental health is most critical at this very moment. We owe it to ourselves and those we lead.
While vaccinations promise to help put an end to the pandemic, they will also bring on new challenges for leaders to manage. Sorry if you thought you were going to be allowed to finally take a deep breath! So, as you’re ramping up into phase two of the pandemic (aka “the how do we live with a vaccine" phase) you will be asked to lead into yet more uncharted territory. To do this successfully you must pause regularly and ask yourself two very important questions.
Focusing on the negative doesn’t mean there is something wrong with us. Researchers believe that is likely a result of evolution. The tendency to focus on bad things was originally necessary to help us survive threats and dangers. Now, we’re being asked to stay at home, wash our hands, and wear masks to survive. So, it’s only part of our natural instinct to focus on the threat to keep us safe.
