Do you agree with the words of Winston Churchill about leadership? How about those of Martin Luther King? You might think that these famous leaders would have an answer to every question. However, not so. Leaders are often asked what they feel most about and they probably have some choice words to say about it. For example, is it enthusiasm or fear that we fear in leadership roles? If the leader is a woman, then she might feel shy and unsure of what she’s doing. The fears might be justified as few women have lead jobs that stress male-dominated tasks like this one. It’s not just male-dominated jobs but also ones with few women options like overlords and superintendents. Leadership roles are considered largely feminine – meaning they require nurturing, loyalty, a strong sense of responsibility and trustworthiness and a high degree of self-racticality. All these attributes might be difficult for some women who want to take up leadership roles but aren’t sure how or where to start looking for help. Here are 6 helpful tips for getting into leadership mode.
Make learning simple
Learning about leadership is often about how to take charge and take your place in the office. But, at the same time, leaders often feel unsure about how to proceed. This sense of uncertainty is normal and normal people experience it too. However, the difference between the two is that the leader of the future will have a task that is far more challenging than those who are in charge right now. Today’s leaders will be anxious, stressed and confused about how to proceed. How do you get them to relax and enjoy the lead role? One word – simple. Lead by example. What are you doing today to make a difference? Start unplugging from work and being present. Don’t stress about what other people are doing or saying. Take a deep breath and open your eyes to the present. You can focus on your words and actions to help your colleaguees relax and enjoy the role.
Make your own treats
Staying present is perhaps the ultimate leadership task. It’s what we need when we’re unsure what to do next. For example, you might have a meeting with senior managers that you know you have to attend. But you’re also wondering what they’re doing at this particular moment. You might be on a business trip or at a friend’s house for the weekend. Take care of your own needs and your friend’s needs, too. For example, take lunch breaks for yourself so that your co-workers can eat lunch together. If you need to take a quick break, go. However, take care of your colleague’s or your own needs. You might not even realize you’re doing this as you’re thinking about how to proceed.
Help other people
There are a lot of leaders who might feel overwhelmed by the demands of leadership roles. They might have trouble finding the time to lead. There might also be a myth emerging that leaders spend their time doing “ memorandum-era” things like meetings and writing reports. These might be unnecessary but they’re not the same thing. A meeting might be “memorandum-era” because it takes up a lot of your time. However, if you spent the majority of your time helping others, you’d be a lot more likely to be taken seriously as a leader.
Take regular brain breaks
If you tend to be a little short- tempered around others, you might enjoy taking a break from leadership roles. You might find it easier to talk to others or take a short walk in the park or take a quick fishing trip. However, you don’t need to be in a meeting or in a meeting room for a quick break. Take a quick walk, take a walk in the park, take a quick “semi-private” walk with a friend, etc. As soon as you’ve taken a short break from the task at hand, return to it with a more settled mind.
Have a desk in your room
You probably spend more time thinking about leadership roles than you realize. Some people even claim that they’re so cognitively impaired that they can’t function well as leaders. It might be the physical space (the office) or it might be their internal space (the heads-up section of their brain). The two might interact together to create a “va-va-va” effect. The desk in your room is one way that you can help your colleagues feel more comfortable in their roles. It might be one of several ways. You can help them by keeping a coffee table book on leadership or you can help them by providing a place to sit and a chair that they can stand up in if they need to stand.
Take special care with your appearance
You know that people love a laughs. You also know thatleadership requires having a sense of self-care. It’s one of the most challenging aspects of the role. Nobody wants to be described as a “sissy” because of this trait. However, being considerate and patient to your colleagues can help you achieve your leadership goals. For example, you might notice that your colleague is having a hard time maintaining eye contact with other people. It might be that they’re avoiding eye contact with you or it might be that they’re avoiding looking at others in the room. You can try to ignore this behavior or try to take a more active role in the meeting by taking a break and looking at your colleague in a more subtle way. For example, shake their hand, smile and offer a hand to those who need it.
Conclusion
Leaders are often challenged by the task of leading. They have conflicting desires and goals and sometimes even conflict between themselves. This can make it extremely challenging for them to lead effectively. Leaders need to have a balance between being too strict with their followers and allowing them to be themselves. Leaders need to be flexible enough to offer a variety of leadership roles and leadership roles that accommodate different personalities and personalities require flexibility. If you’ve been challenged by leadership roles, don’t stress about it. Ask yourself – Where can I learn more about leadership? Where can I start? Where can I find support? These are the answers to all leadership questions.
