Recently, I stumbled across the book “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown. Its content is all about the vulnerability, shame, and courage of being a great leader. I reflected on my working days and found it resonating with my interest in Management and Leadership. Here are 3 key things I found interesting from the book and also from my real-life working experiences from years of working with great leaders.
🌿1/ Being clear is being kind.
Avoid conflict and confrontation may lead to nowhere. The more you avoid, the more escalating the situation gets.
When you’re in the position of a Leader/Manager, provide your team with constructive feedback. Be open, honest, and empathetic with your staff and stakeholders. Talking and discussing from their perspectives to understand the root causes.
Being clear may hurt, but in the long run, it builds trust and meaningful connections. You know, ultimately, the longer we play the waiting game, the bigger the problem gets.
🌿2/ Avoid perfectionism
What makes a great leader doesn’t need something fancy. You’re just being humble, eager to learn, and acknowledge that you’re not perfect. Human is flawed by design. Just be vulnerable to show your team that sometimes, you don’t have all the answers. You’re still a human.
Even though you don’t know everything, you commit to finding the solutions and working on them at any cost. Showing your devotion and dedication to finding the answers makes you admirable.
My boss did a great job at listening to her team, she’s not hesitant to show her shortcomings. When there’s something she’s incompetent or simply doesn’t know, she just acknowledges it out loud without shame or having the fear of judgment. She’s just herself. Still authentic and professional. That makes her charismatic and trustworthy in my eyes. Just being transparent with your team about what’s going on also plays a key role in building trust and morale among the staff.
🌿3/Get clear on your TWO core values
This means when you have the “inner compass”, the values and principles you’re aiming for, just align your behaviors and actions to it. I see it very clearly from my boss. One of her two values when working is: Thoughtfulness and Professionalism. She guided her actions, initiatives, and plans by those values in daily interactions with parents, students, colleagues, and stakeholders.
When she sets an example, that’s when the inspiration kicks in amongst the employees. People don’t follow your words, but your actions. Consistency is the key to creating impact and change within an organization.
Have at least two core values. Don’t list out too much, otherwise, you’ll get distracted!
In summary, being a great Leader requires you to step out of your comfort zone, be vulnerable in showing your true self but still setting boundaries, be ready to embrace change, and have the mindset of creating a culture of sharing and honesty.
-Tuyết Sơn-
