How to Model Leadership for Your Team
Early in my leadership journey I made a huge mistake with my team.
I set the expectations I had for myself onto my team.
I had the expectation that:
I wouldn’t leave the office until I was caught up on email
I worked weekends
I responded to emails around the clock - nights, holidays, weekends
I was allllllll about the work - not the people doing the work
I analyzed data extremely quickly, real time and could immediately communicate the results of my findings
I was quick to make on the spot decisions
And none of these were expectations that my leader put on me or were set out in the job description. They were my own expectations that I made up of myself.
By doing all of that - not only was I modeling the way for my team, but I was also expecting them to do the same exact thing.
Until it was reflected to me that I was doing that, I had no awareness.
I had no clue that I was making my team feel:
Depleted
Uninspired
Frustrated
That they could never be good enough
It was impossible to meet expectations
And I was setting them up to fail. It was a stomach sinking moment.
With that awareness, I reset the expectations I had of myself and in turn the expectations I had of my team. My new expectations were:
Leaving the office at a decent time - with unread emails
I may have played my own catch up on the weekends, but I stopped putting the burden on my team to do the same
I spent time teaching my team how I analyzed data so quickly
I learned their strengths that we could leverage across the team vs. expecting them to have my strengths
I balanced the people and work together - they were one
Ultimately slowed down.
Was it hard? Yes.
Was it worth it? Hell yes!
My team started thriving, individually and as a team. We were achieving the results that I knew were possible for us and I personally got some much-needed time back.
What expectations do you have of yourself that you’ve put on your team? How can you more effectively model leadership for your team?
