For so many reasons I have tried my best to stay away from leadership positions. It’s no secret that I am not a fan of being an adult and I don’t like responsibilities. I think that it is all overrated and it sucks. I’ve never wanted to be an adult. My parents didn’t make it look fun at all. But during my journey, I have been placed in a couple of leadership positions and I have done my best while holding those positions. I did my best to be a leader who talks to and understands those that I am leading. I have had so many bad experiences with leaders that I just never wanted to be a leader over anything.
But okay let’s talk about it a little bit, leadership is what you make it. Let’s just be honest a lot of leaders have never been trained to be a leader and/or haven’t seen good leadership reflected in anyone leading them so they only do what they know. So if a “leader” has made you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed you or dismissed you and your ideas those are more than likely things that they have experienced and didn’t take the time to process and now they are doing the same thing to others. Let’s be honest being in leadership makes some people feel powerful and they go on a power trip. One thing I will rarely ever forget is how someone made me feel so I know that I never want to make anyone else feel those uncomfortable moments. Those moments don’t feel good and they don’t grow trust or teamwork environments. As I continue to grow I find myself leading more and taking on the responsibilities of a leader and I am doing my best to embrace it. A minister once told me that things that we run away from the most are usually what we are called to do or be. While I definitely don’t have all of the answers I do have a couple of tips that may help you if you find yourself in a leadership position.
Quick Tips:
- Learn how to be clear to all that you lead. Everyone doesn’t process the information the same.
- Never talk down to someone. Everyone is a human and should be treated and respected as such.
- Reprimand with respect.
- Put yourself in the shoes of those that you are leading.
- Ask for feedback and really take it all into consideration and make changes where necessary.
- When changes are being reviewed bring those on the frontline into get feedback.
- Being a leader doesn’t make you God.
- Those that you lead just want to know that you care and you see them.
- Never make someone feel the feelings that you wouldn’t want to feel.
Those are a few of my tips. If you have some to add please share them so that I can share them with the community. I definitely would like to be an amazing leader whenever I am in the position to be that. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow in how to be in this role.
Talk to you again soon.
Xoxo,
Zony