In the world of leadership and development, there’s a thing I call your “superpower.” Basically, your superpower is the personal energy or attitude you bring when you walk into a room. When you enter a room, are your employees feeling inspired or demotivated? Take a quick second to consider the type of energy you present in your professional capacities.
Now let’s talk about likeability. As people, it’s pretty simple, we want to be with people we like, even at work. But leaders are under a lot of stress and can sometimes, unknowingly, present a negative superpower upon entering the room. Examples of negative superpowers are sarcasm, moodiness, and other ego-driven behaviors.
It’s time to come clean. Are you approachable? Are you negative? Are your employees excited to see you or do you sense they simply smile and nod, to get by? According to my practices, we need to be better in order to transcend as leaders.
In my coaching experience, oftentimes, leaders seeking growth and development aren’t aware of their presence. This ultimately means, they’re also unaware of how their employees or colleagues view them.
I stumbled upon this quote in a Harvard Business Review Article, “Of course, there are times when managers might want to be perceived as scary, such as when they are in a contested negotiation or facing down behavior that’s unacceptable. But most of the time managers need to be approachable. If employees are afraid to speak up, engagement suffers, learning moments go unrecognized, misconduct goes unquestioned, and innovations go unrealized.”
Now I ask you, what type of feeling do you want to bring into the boardroom or next team meeting? How do you want to define your superpower? I’m here to remind you that this type of mindful practice is necessary for a thriving business.
I work with professionals and remind them to be the leader who walks into the room and creates a good energetic flow or positive environment. Choose calm, relatability, and authenticity. Choose to create a trusting and comforting environment.
In my takeaway tips of the week, here’s what you can do now:
- Acknowledge. You may have to step out of your comfort zone. Be secure and confident enough with your current leadership skills, by acknowledging the question, “How do I make my employees and colleagues feel?”
- Be coachable. None of us are perfect. If you need to enhance your superpower then be willing to seek advice and guidance so you can grow and develop.
When you work with me, I teach you how to more intentionally read the room by studying body language, and more.
I hope you found this week’s newsletter inspiring and helpful. Let’s continue the conversation. Schedule a complimentary leadership consultation with me today. What have you got to lose?
Dr. Dionne Kress,
Leadership Transcended
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