Think great leadership… think creation and efficient execution of the strategic business plan across the organisation. But is this enough? When leaders are human they create trust, build better relationships and get better results.

Strategic planning is vital in achieving an organisation's vision and commercial goals. But so often this business focused, logical, structured, left-brain approach takes precedence over the more human, right-brain way of creating trust, building respectful relationships and hearing others.

And I wonder why this human side of leadership is avoided so often? Maybe there is something to fear? Something concerning about change, not knowing how, losing control and structure? There is any number of reasons but without exploring these further, we will convince ourselves that the left-brain approach is all that is needed for success.

HOWEVER… all my experience of working with leaders confirms that the most impactful and inspiring ones create a balance of both business and human skills. We have to be human to create great results.

being more human!

If you want to be an impactful and inspiring leader, here are some great tips:

It’s essential to develop a level of self-awareness – the ability to hold the mirror up and take a realistic look at yourself
Demonstrate humility – admit mistakes, say when you don’t know and show how you have learnt
Ask for help – allegedly leaders don’t have to be perfect and know all the answers!
Say what you believe in
Have difficult conversations, don’t avoid them
Listen with empathy – show you understand (not agree)

And see it in practice…

I recently worked with a CEO who was asked to talk to a group of high potential leaders. The CEO arrived and did away with the stage, and the lectern, and PowerPoint, he even got rid of the tables and the ego was left behind as well! He just sat and chatted with the group.

He genuinely shared what he valued and what he believed in. He was honest about his uncertainties and mistakes as a leader. He also shared what had helped him to succeed. Not complicated, just genuine, authentic and one of the most impactful conversations I’ve heard a leader give.

Remember, in this world of growing digital connectivity we have to be careful we don’t lose the ability to connect as humans – if we do, performance and results will plummet and we won’t reach our potential as organisations or human beings.

being human with change management…

So often organisations approach change with such an exhaustive focus on the communication process that they miss the intention to engage the heart. They create a compelling business case and a burning platform for change, then great Gannt charts are developed and project management tools about. This business focused, logical approach works to a degree (in the short term!), but is regularly followed by low morale, people feeling unheard, change programmes over-running and coming in over budget.

I once worked with an organisation who after 9 months of starting a massive change programme – wondered why there were huge levels of dissatisfaction and people weren’t following the planned tasks. There had been no consideration for how people were feeling, what they were thinking, their concerns. People felt very unheard! Other than some formal communications, no one was sitting down with people, listening, understanding and sharing information?

The critical factor in helping others navigate their way through change with the least amount of pain is to:

Explore and recognise how people are feeling - yes, ask the 'F' question!
Talk about concerns related to the change (their job, other's jobs, their skills and ability, the possibility of failure - theirs or the business')
Let people know it's normal to be uncomfortable, concerned, worried, unsure
Clarify what's changing and, importantly, what's staying the same
Celebrate successes all the way through
Regularly engage others in conversations - not just at the kick off
All of this means you have to create time and listen with empathy!

And being human as a new leader…

Transitioning into a new leadership role is always a challenging time. Leaders want to make a mark, demonstrate their understanding of the business and make a difference. And all too often I have seen leaders charge in at a rate of knots – all with good intentions to drive performance and business success. When they don’t take the time to understand the people, they are setting themselves up to fail.

I observed a new leader I worked with recently, take the time to listen and understand the past and the history that had gone before. There was a clear effort to get to know the people, their concerns, aims and ambitions. Demonstrating the belief in the value of human leadership created respect and built trust early on. It was like placing deposits in the bank account of goodwill and human respect. Then when changes were needed, people were willing to listen in return. Watching this leader create the balance of listening, understanding whilst still having the freedom and strength to create a future direction for the business was a joy to behold.

When leaders have the courage to free themselves from the limiting view that the business side of leadership is enough, and begin to fully embrace the human side, they find that relationships improve, trust grows and results soar.

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I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

At Down to Earth we take a holistic approach to developing leaders – not only do we support the development of the harder business measures but we focus on developing self awareness and the ability to connect as humans, to build respect, deal with conflict, lead people through change, build trust and inspire.

If you would like to chat about this more, and consider how developing human leaders might be able to help you personally or your organisation, please do get in touch.

Contact us:
Call: 07881 915657
Email: claire@downtoearth-development.co.uk