In the second of her blogs for charity and business leaders looking to develop their authencity, Claire Irving, from Better Strategic Consultancy, shares her top three tips.
Brilliant leadership connects people to your organisation's cause and purpose - which is especially important for charities or businesses navigating tricky waters. It will also help you feel driven and happier in your role, which filters through your teams and helps promote a strong and connected culture.
Helping to build confidence in your authentic self (especially if you don't fit the traditional 'What a Leader Looks Like' mould we're conditioned to subscribe to), is well worth taking some time to think about and practice. We can all doubt ourselves sometimes, and I wanted to share three of the things I focussed on to gain my confidence in leadership positions.
Practice being yourself
Just because you are in a leadership position, you don’t have to bury who you are, where you’ve come from or adjust so that you fit supposed expectations around your gender identity, race, age, disabilities or sexuality. Being your true self and appropriately showing this builds trust and allows others to excel in their roles. So, practice this – have brief corridor conversations, ask about others; for a short while, build in space in your diary to be present and visible. It will make a difference.
Listen (and hear)
Building trust requires communication and active listening is key to this. Be clear in what you expect, lay out your vision so your teams know the direction they should be heading in, give feedback that supports people to grow. If you lead in a vacuum, you will miss out on developments and perspectives that are far from your own. Encourage open two-way communication and you’ll understand more about what your people need to excel.
Take risks
If you lack confidence, it can be hard to take risks. But calculated risks are an essential part of leadership. Where you can really grow your authenticity is by demonstrating the clarity of your decision making and, even if things don’t go as planned, that you are prepared to learn and adapt. You’ll be modelling resilience and determination and a desire to learn and evolve. In turn, this will build trust and a mindset amongst your team that testing new things is A Good Thing.
If you’d like a call to explore how we at Better can help your growth as a leader, get in touch.
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