The sign that you are low on leadership skills
Rude or angry visitors to the business, unexpected changes, staff conflict, delays, complaints or mistakes can have a negative effect on even the most positive Leaders. These interruptions can find you thinking (or mumbling) “If people would just leave me alone I would get so much more done, for everyone.”
Sound familiar? On those days you probably wish you could hang up a sign that says “Do Not Disturb” but even then, you know that phones will still ring, emails will still ping and people will still ‘tap you on the shoulder’ and say “I know you’re busy….but…”
Why can’t staff see and leave you alone when you are working on things that ulitmately help them?
Why do you need to remain calm and professional when those around you are ingoring your needs?
Because an important part of being a Leader is to lead. Part of the ‘job description’ is to be open to guiding others and to communicate professionally with co-workers and customers of the business. This doesn’t mean ignoring your own needs because they matter too, but how leaders ask for what they need, say no to the demands of others and make time for urgent tasks, sets a standard.
Like it or not - leaders are watched. They are the people that staff look to for examples of how to behave.
Leaders who are able to self assess and self regulate negative thoughts and feelings are displaying a key component of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and the impact of EQ on the leader and those they interact with is less stress, fewer mistakes and an increase in respect.
Leaders with EQ know that when they’re not feeling positive, their feelings can impact how they behave and negative behaviours will impact negatively on everyone they interact with - not good for anyone.
Here’s a couple of examples of the impact of leaders not using EQ:
A leader who ‘snaps’ or sighs when approached by staff may be considered as rude or aggressive. Sure, this outcome may make staff think before interrupting in the future, but it can lead to staff ‘walking on egg shells’ and nervous staff make mistakes, that you will have to address.
A leader who drops everyting as soon as someone asks for help, is saying ‘ yes, no matter what you need or when, I am your person”. Nice sentiment but it may lead to an overworked leader and a team who don’t use critical thinking skills and that can lead to bored staff who make mistakes, that you will have to address.
Leadership is a combination of skills, knowledge and action. The great news is that anyone can learn to be a respected leader. Lightbulb Training Solutions work with leaders who want less stress, time to celebrate and a team who work together to achieve a remarkable reputation for the business.
How do we help? Lightbulb Training Solutions design and deliver on-site group training for leaders and customer service teams and 1:1 coaching for leaders.
If you would like more information, please contact us today so you can lose the “Do Not Disturb” sign.
By Cate Schreck - Director of Just For Schools & Author of “The A-Z of Service Excellence”