Take a big cleansing deep breath. Have you caught that scent of Spring yet? New beginnings, fresh air, green buds, and flowering plants are calling us to leave the old and embrace the new.
As leaders, much of that ‘old’ can be an unintentional build-up of toxic behaviors burdening and confining us like those heavy wet coats of the past season. Time to Spring clean our leadership house! Here is a handy checklist to get started:
Polish your people skills. Your employees are human beings first - treat them that way.
Dust off your availability. Be there for your people as each individual needs you to be.
Wipe away any lack of empathy. A little understanding and a dose of kindness works wonders.
Vacuum up the gossip. Don’t let it embed in the team rug. It will sour the smell of the culture.
Wash your ears. Stop hearing and start actively listening.
Sweep away favoritism. Look for the unique skill sets each of your people bring to the team.
Scrub off any hint of micromanagement. It reeks of insecurity.
Mop up your ego. Leadership is not about YOU, it is about serving your people.
Sanitize the trust. Create and maintain a safe and inviting environment for everyone.
Clear out the clutter. Kick to the curb everything that prevents you from doing items 1 through 9.
What better time than Spring to freshen up your management behaviors? Reevaluating and taking inventory of your leadership presence can help reveal areas for improvement that may be hiding in those moldy corners. It also shows your team that you are willing to evolve and change which can increase their trust in you and your leadership.
So, take inventory, assess, and get started with throwing out the old musty and dusty things that are diminishing your leadership effectiveness and make room for the fresh and clean. Everything will shine and smell much sweeter as a result, and your team and organization will thank you for it.
Dr. Merrylue Martin is President and CEO of the Job Joy Group and best-selling author of the Big Quit Survival Guide. To learn more, visit www.JobJoyGroup.com and connect with Merrylue on LinkedIn.
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