Are You A Resourceful Leader?

If you follow my work you are aware of my commitment to supporting managers. You may also be aware of my interest in assessing how leaders function under unprecedented stress (as demonstrated in my book about the COVID-19 pandemic). 

The research I conducted in 2020 pointed to the essentiality of leaders being versatile… And yet, so few leaders are identified as such. 

Seeing as we are fast approaching the three-year anniversary of when the WHO classified COVID-19 as a global pandemic, it seems timely to raise the topic of resourceful leaders.  Whether amidst a pandemic or not, being a well-balanced, fully agile, and level-headed leader will help you in all walks of life. 

Being resourceful speaks to a person’s capability to “read the room” and respond appropriately. Seems pretty intuitive, but it’s actually quite hard. People tend to sway in a specific direction – either too enabling in their management practice, too authoritative, too tactical, or even overly thoughtful. A combination of these traits can be incredibly powerful, but a concentrated version of just one primary attribute can prohibit a manager’s ability to see the necessity for a shift in behavior.

But how do you gather information to assess whether or not you have blind spots? Well, first, recognize that you do! Second, consider taking a personality assessment – I personally like the Predictive Index as it ties personality to management tendencies and layers in the types of personalities you may struggle with managing and why (and how to overcome that). Or, work with a coach (a plug for yours truly) to learn about the behavioral approach to management. Understanding what kind of leader you are takes both self-reflection and peer input. From there, intention setting for the type of leader you want to be will set the foundation for getting you there. 

Understanding both what comes naturally to you and what is painstaking, will promote the idea of well-roundedness. I encourage you to think of yourself through the lens of aiming to be a resourceful leader; what would that look like? 

Management Musts (To Manage Yourself!)

In order to manage others well, it’s no wonder you must know how to manage yourself. 

As managers climb the corporate ladder, feedback can become sparse. This concept of leaders losing their way is an HBS favorite of mine. Why? It shows us that no one, no matter how well-intentioned, is completely insusceptible to losing our way. 

While having a confidant is advised, it is also advised to look inward for the answers. Just as you regularly audit your team’s output, regularly ask yourself questions that provoke introspection. 

• How do I behave under pressure? 

• Am I modeling the behaviors I want my team to exude?

• Do I give team members actionable, timely, and direct feedback?  (Remember, feedback should not be kept for yearly reviews alone. Feedback should be a constant, with team members knowing exactly where they excel and where they can improve.) 

Perhaps in the self-assessment, you realize that you’ve demonstrated characteristics of frustration, stress, and short-tempered during times of being under pressure. What can you do about that? First, realize that during challenging times – whether company-specific or team specific – team members will observe your behavior and replicate it almost immediately. If you find you are quick to blame, or quick to become frenzied, you have the power to better manage these behaviors. The goal here should be to answer your questions honestly, and seek feedback when you simply feel unsure. (Word to the wise: The people who typically think they need the least self-reflection, need it the most! If you think you have it all figured out, give this exercise a try. You might even elicit responses from your team members rather than answer the questions independently.)

An integral part of being an effective manager is not only focusing on the professional development of your workgroup, but it must include self-regulation practices, introspection, and a will to change.

Leading with Integrity

Reinvigorate your leadership practice in 2023 with this philosophy.

If we dissect the root cause of interpersonal conflict, we find it’s nothing revolutionary. It is often about an absence of integrity. To me, integrity is the amalgamation of honesty and respect. If this is seemingly rudimentary… good! It won’t be easy to forget. Are you truthful on a daily basis? Do you respect your peers? If you answered “yes” to these two questions, you are well on your way to leading with integrity. But if we are being completely honest with ourselves, odds are there’s room for improvement.

According to Mindy Mackenzie there’s a truth telling crisis in corporate America. All too often individuals are concerned about the consequences of the truth and lack the courage to tell it. (Fostering inclusive climates support truth telling!)

It’s unlikely that managers set out to lead with an absence of integrity, but when there are tight deadlines, process conflict, personality clashes, and the like, managers are poised to become stressed. Unfortunately, stressed managers may stretch the truth to superiors in the name of saving face and may also fall into the pit of credit theft. A integritous leader would not do either of these things.

But, if you aren’t investing in your personal development (by reading this blog) who will help keep you accountable? Work to create a network of people you respect, are respectable, and can help guide you in the best of -- and most challenging -- times. It's never too early to establish this. 

What’s beautiful about truth-telling is it’s cyclical. When a leader has a fierce team of honest confidants, they are less likely to become ego-maniacs. Similarly, when the developing manager encourages his or her team to tell the truth, regardless of whether they will like the feedback, they perpetuate the truth serum culture.

It’s when you lose the drive to be honest that we compromise ourselves and pave the path for a false reality – one where truth is non-existent. Have you ever been afraid to tell the truth, fearing disapproval, belittlement, or conflict? It’s up to you to ensure this is not the reality for your team.

In 2023, guide your decision-making and communication as a manager through the lens of honesty and respect. It won’t go unnoticed.

Too Busy to Be a Good Manager? Time to Reset.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Feeling mentally and physically drained as a manager of people? You’re not alone. Managers everywhere are grappling to keep up. Flexibility, empathy, consistency, and intentional leading takes energy. Thus, it’s no wonder many managers struggled during the pandemic’s peak which has flowed over into the present day.

How does one know what to say, or what to do when faced with circumstances never seen before? How a manager behaves is a pretty basic leadership style trait: There are people who are relationship-centric, and there are people who are task-centric. Both profiles are easily identifiable among managers – and from your own personal experiences, I’m sure you’re thinking of a manager who tended to lean one way or another. When managers are under stress which is compounded by “the unknowns” it can be easy to resort to what is most comfortable, regardless of what is best for the team. 

If you are a manager reading this, it’s probable you were trying to keep your head above water in the past year and a half. You may have become overly invested in personal experiences that ended up hurting productivity, or you may have compartmentalized other peoples’ issues as a concern that was not your own.  Perhaps now is the ideal moment to reflect upon what could be done better across the spectrum and how you can prepare for crises. Evaluate the current atmosphere and team dynamics to make up for the damage done or for the missed opportunities.

First, slow it down.

I get it, easier said than done. But the nation is catching up to this whole “people matter and we better invest in them” thing, so it is your job to take the steps needed to ensure the vitality and successes of your workgroup.

What helps slow things down, you may ask? Emotional regulation. How are you feeling, why are you feeling that way? Are you quick to react under stress, or do you reflect and respond? Impulsive decision-making – what I like to call “hectic direction” – will only cause uncertainty and concern among team members. Being thoughtful and poised is not to be confused with being slow. Steady yourself with deep breathing, fair turnaround time, and clear expectations about what can and cannot be done within predefined time frames.

Second, reignite feedback.

Whether your corporation provides formal reviews or not, you should be giving your team members regular, quarterly reviews. Work with your team members to set goals, output, timelines, and reasonable expectations about what a person can count on with upward mobility, pay, flexibility, or career pathing. Do you spend time with your team members individually? What are you doing to ensure their psychological safety? Listening is the first step to establishing trust and with trust, candid conversation and better performance will follow.

This is a great summer exercise to employ prior to the frenzy of back to school and the decrease in summer vacationing.