Leading change is distinctly different than managing it.
Let’s say you’ve got a crisis going on with one of your kids at home, or one of your employees at work. It’s normal to react to it, to step in as the problem solver to figure out the solution. That’s managing the crisis. That’s reacting, and there are times in our lives as leaders when it is vital to do this.
But leading… Is entirely different.
Leadership is proactive. It’s not marketing, missions, or message. The old style of charismatic hype leadership is over. Today people want to be connected. They have to feel ownership, intrinsic value, and a desire to be in your business.
Seth Godin wrote:
Leadership is now the strongest marketing strategy. Yelling with gusto used to be the best way to advertise your wares. There was plenty of media and if you had plenty of money, you were set. Today, of course, yelling doesn’t work so well.
What works is leading. Leading a (relatively) small group of people. Taking them somewhere they’d like to go. Connecting them to one another.
I’m inclined to agree with Godin. Lead face to face. Be intimately engaged and fully present. Empower your team. Lead, and if required, step out of your comfort zone.
Leadership is a lot like riding a bike.
The learning phase requires a serious examination of our deepest selves. It’s during this time that we discover how much we are (or are not) capable of.
There are emotional bumps and bruises along the way. But once we get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.
Feel free to contact me for a free 30 minute session to discuss what type of leader you are, and if coaching could benefit not only you as a leader but your team as well.