“Leader” can be a vague term, but overall what does it mean? It’s simply a person who commands a group. That group could be five people. That could also be 5,000 people. At its core, however, its exerting influence over more than one person. We often associate leadership with folks who are given certain titles: manager, lead, CEO, founder, etc., but teachers are leaders, parents can be leaders, and coaches are leaders. With this power to command and influence comes many difficult challenges. As a leadership coach, overcoming those challenges has been the impetus for what I do. It doesn’t matter what your job title; these challenges are shared among all leaders.
Balancing humility and self-confidence
Contrary to what you might think, humility and self-confidence aren’t mutually exclusive. Most leaders deal with “imposter syndrome” and self-doubt. It is inevitable, trust me.
There are strategies, however, to develop a sense of self that is unrelative to other people. Being confident in your ability to lead or accomplish whatever you set out to do, does not mean you aren’t humble. On the contrary, it means you understand your value so accurately that you don’t overestimate it, but you don’t underestimate it either.
You frame your “weaknesses” as simply areas to improve upon and not shortcomings. You acknowledge that you’re fallible but deeply committed to self-improvement. Ask yourself: What are core parts of who you are, that are not in relation to others, the aspects of you that no one can ever take away. You’re not just someone’s boss or someone’s uncle; you’re you–what does that mean to you? These are qualities that are somewhat intangible. They don’t encompass your belongings. These traits don’t pay mind to the value of your possessions. It shouldn’t matter whether you drive a Lamborghini or a Prius, or whether you picked up a top-of-the-line tractor for your new trucking fleet or decided to save money with a used Peterbilt 579 for sale, whether your business title is fancy or not–they’re the aspects of you that will never go away no matter how much adversaries take from you. Once you have mastered that question and put that at the forefront of who you are, you’re impervious to the negative chatter that takes over your mind.
Following through with your commitments
People in leadership roles are very busy people. They’re often pulled and tugged in different directions and want to be involved in many parts of the business in order to help and provide input where they can. This can get very hectic. Human beings are capable of multitasking, yes, but the quality of work will suffer when you bite off more than you chew. Remember that leaders are held to a higher standard–which means a higher quality of work. You also have multiple people, sometimes multiple teams relying on you for approval, and these relationships can become strained if they feel they cannot rely on you. Take 30 minutes out of your day to think about how many projects you can realistically take on given your time commitments, and factor in ALL of your time commitments, including ones outside of a professional setting–all facets of life are important and work-life balance is very important.
Anxiety management
Remember what I said earlier about humility? No one is above experiencing anxiety and stress–not even the best teachers, CEOs, and executives in the world. This is a very real issue that they face as they deal with mounting expectations. You don’t have to experience this alone. Have a few people in your cohort as confidantes or folks who will empathize with you. Consult professionals about methods of stress management and how to challenge some of the negative coping mechanisms you have with stress. Set boundaries regarding some of your projects and time commitments. When anxiety goes unchecked, it can wreak havoc not only on you but on those who rely on you. The first step is to recognize behaviors you have when you deal with stress; the next step is addressing how to prevent the negative anxiety-coping mechanisms from repeating.
Remember: Burnout is real. The unique issue that leaders face is that they are looked to as a beacon of positivity. They’re the company cheerleader. When progress is slow, and you’re not feeling the motivation that you usually feel, acknowledging small wins is a good way to keep the motivation going. Knowing when to step back and take a break is also important because relaxation is not only imperative to mental health, but it helps bring out creative ideas.