Leader – Stop Now And Take A Rest!

Everybody needs the chance to do nothing sometimes – even the leader.  But it is very hard for most leaders to accept that sometimes the right response from them is no action at all.

Suppose you are a very good leader and now you have a good team; they understand clearly your vision for the organization. Don’t you think they deserve the chance to show you what they can do?  Don’t they need their chance to move forward?  Oh yes, you can be around if they need you, but this could be their opportunity to make their mark.

But it is hard,  isn’t it?  You are the leader – surely you should be out there doing something all the time?

Sometimes doing nothing, letting go and letting the plans you have made just roll out is hard and it takes practice.  You don’t have to close your eyes of course – you can see still what is going on.  And you may have to grit your teeth because not everyone maybe doing things the way you would. But if they are getting there, isn’t that good enough?

Of course, you feel you should be busy – leadership is too important surely just to step back!  But maybe now is the time for reflection on what you have done so far and for you to find inspiration for the future. It is very hard to do that when you are actively engaged in leadership – sometimes you need to step out of the game to see what is really going on.

Refusing to take that step back is common among leaders.  Stepping back requires confidence in both yourself as the leader and in your team.  In addition, it requires a touch of humility and that is not something modern leaders are known for.

Leaders can begin to believe that they are so important to everything that even the idea of 24 hours of rest once during the week, feels impossible. But surely if you have built a good team and done your job in inspiring that team, they should be able to go forward without your hands-on guidance.

Try it for yourself – just take a deep breath and step back! You may be amazed at the benefits in terms of your own energy, enthusiasm and creativity – to say nothing of the positive effect it may have on those you lead.
Wendy is the Happiness Coach and author of  The Wolf Project and a new novel, Blood Brothers, to be published in Summer 2013.  As a life and career coach and blogger, she helps people reach their goals and aspirations. As a novelist she hopes to entertain. Oh and she writes poetry too! To find out more email wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com, find her on Skype at wendymason14, or call +44 (0) 2081239146 (02081239146 for UK callers) or +1 262 317 9016 if you are in the US.

A free trial/consultation gives you an opportunity to try phone coaching without risk. Remember there are great benefits to be achieved by being coached in the comfort  of your own home by phone or Skype .

CV review and interview preparation a speciality

Related articles

• Guided Meditation – Blissful Deep Relaxation
• How to deal with your Anger!
• Leadership – Creating Leadership At All Levels
• Management:Some Good Thoughts On Giving Feedback
• Life Recipes for Success-Success Ingredient ‘Setting Priorities’

Leadership – Creating Leadership At All Levels

Leadership is about creating positive change in a group or organization to achieve some long-term objective. It involves having a vision, setting goals and knowing how to move  the organization and its people towards them. The key skill is know how to best use your resources including  your people and their talents to get you to where you need to be.

As the leader, you need to be able to show why you should have the authority to be in that role. You need to understand the organization and the world in which it operates – that way you can win the confidence and trust of the people you will lead. If you are new, you need the best brief you can get and then you need to ask questions that will show people you are really interested in them and what they are trying to do.

If you are leading a team, you will need to develop and motivate individuals and groups. That means helping people find meaning and purpose in what they are doing so that they can see it as worthwhile. And as a leader, you have a responsibility to create more leaders throughout you organization. You can do this by setting a positive example.  You should allow people to learn and develop on the job, as well as encouraging them to be proactive – let them know they really can influence the way the organization achieves success.

If you are the leader, you need to have resilience and be able to overcome obstacles that others would find daunting.  You need to know how to find new solutions and inspire others to do the same thing.  Make sure people throughout the organization know that their ideas are welcomed and rewarded.  Help them to have confidence in you, when times are hard.

Be prepared to recognize and reward positive leadership wherever you find it throughout the organization.  Let some of your own power be passed on to those around you.  Just make sure they share your vision and that you have a way to know whether they are staying on the right track.  Accept, as well, that letting go of power means taking risks and be ready to step when things go wrong – that is part of leadership too. Support your emerging leaders and what you will win is their loyalty – they in turn will support you.

Wendy Mason is the Happiness Coach and author of a new novel, The Wolf Project Wendy is a life and career coach and writer. She is passionate about helping people find happiness at work and at home! She helps people reach their goals and aspirations, without sacrificing their home and personal life.  She believes coaching requires compassion, warmth and empathy. Wendy helps people reach their career goals and aspirations, without sacrificing their home and personal life. You can contact Wendy at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com and find out more at http://wisewolfcoaching.com

CV review and interview preparation a speciality

Some other articles you may enjoy

• Career Development – Preparing For Your Annual Performance Review
• WiseWolf on the Discuss HR Blog – Career Development for the Over 60s
• Career: Making the most of existing opportunities opportunities
• Job Search: How To Add Value To Your CV And Make It Jump Out From The Pile
•