“Leadership has been a much-hyped word for years and we use it as a matter of course to describe leadership, decisiveness, vision and the like.
The exact definition can of course be found on Wikipedia and the database says:
Leadership means leading people.
“In social psychology, leadership is the social behavior of persons or groups of persons to influence or guide other persons or groups in a desired direction through leadership.”
At first glance, it sounds quite plausible and simple – and yet it is probably one of the most complex processes imaginable.
Why is that?
Because people are complex.
You may be familiar with the image of an iceberg. Most of it is invisible under water and only a small tip sticks out of the surface. People are like such icebergs. We only see the behavior that is shown to us.
We therefore have no idea what imprints, values, injuries and beliefs underlie the behavior, we can only judge what we see.
But that is not enough.
The complexity is also increased by the ego factor. In other words, the person who perceives the behavior of the other person does so from an ego perspective. This is also significantly influenced by the unconscious part (iceberg under water), so that what is seen corresponds to what is already known or assumed.
People are subjective beings.
Without knowing the extent and nature of the hidden parts, this is tantamount to blindly navigating according to the principle of trial and error. That is difficult enough. But now everyone is to be positively influenced and guided towards a specific goal?
Wow!
No wonder there are walls of books of advice on the subject as well as seminars, workshops and, of course, coaches (like me) who deal with this topic.
I’ll summarize this in one question:
How to explore the bottom of the iceberg?
And try to keep the complex simple.
- Interest
- impartiality
- patience
I’m sure the list could be extended by many more, but why make something complex even more complex and possibly lose courage before you start?
1. Let’s start with interest.
Taking an interest in a person means wanting to learn more about them than what they are telling you. If you are not interested in others, you should not take it for granted that others are interested in your own goals and concerns – even if you are the boss.
Asking questions and wanting to understand is more subtle than judgment and rejection.
Perhaps you are now wondering what subtlety has to do with leadership. Well, shouldn’t the question rather be what it doesn’t have to do with it?
We have already established that we are dealing with a great unknown beneath the surface of the water. If we navigate roughly, the collision will not be long in coming.
Many non-fiction books on the subject of leadership provide plenty of methodological tips, but what good is the best recipe if you can’t taste the spices for a dish?
It takes dedication, interest and flair.
2. If you approach new employees with an open mind, you have a real chance of attracting new top performers to the company.
Trust is more subtle than mistrust.
Discussions about the meaningfulness of New Work and the challenges posed by Generation Z & Co. make one thing essentially fade away.
Namely: the world has never not changed. The world is shaped by a group of people and evaluated by others.
Leaders who want to permanently switch to ‘autopilot’ will not be able to sit back for long. Leadership means constantly adapting to and embracing new things. Constantly making course corrections and, above all, staying in touch with the team AND the goal.
3. You can sometimes run out of air.
The whole thing can be more draining than you think, because if you constantly have to reckon with a collision, you become tense. However, a collision is not necessarily a total loss, but should at best be used for further development and reorientation.
Patience and serenity are more subtle than impatience and anger.
What feels like progressing at a snail’s pace for some is a hell of a gallop for others. Speed is subjective and hardly negotiable. We live in fast times and yet we often have the feeling that we have only achieved half of what we should.
Expectations rise at the same rate as frustration and dissatisfaction. If you don’t have time, you don’t coordinate well. If you don’t have time, you forgo maintenance and overheat the engine.
This is not only tedious, but also expensive.
If you don’t know the details of a movement, you can hardly imagine how long it takes to create such a work of art to perfection.
A leader does not need to know every single step of the employees in detail to understand what is possible and in what time. Well-functioning processes that are simple, clear and efficient are the hallmark of prudent leadership.
I work with both sides of leadership on a daily basis. On the one hand with the leaders and on the other with those being led.
Rarely both sides are happy.
That’s why my clients work with me to change that.
After all, isn’t life too short to misunderstand each other?
If you agree with me and would like to change this for yourself or in your organization, then I look forward to hearing from you!
If you are curious and would like to find out more, please use the appointment button at the bottom right and let’s get started.
Yours
Regina Reitinger
