Leadership for a positive environment
I really enjoyed presenting my recent webinar on how to build wellbeing in your team.
It’s a subject that I love presenting on, because team wellbeing creates such a win-win for everyone - it is good for team performance, employee engagement and wellbeing.
If you would like to view the recording you can find details below.
I said in my last blog that I would be writing about each of the protective factors over the next few weeks - today is about leadership factors.
Leadership factors
Research shows that when senior leaders set and model high level interpersonal functioning, where values like respect, trust, kindness and compassion dominate, the tone is set for the whole organisation.
A key element of capable leaders is their ‘internalised’ locus of control. They are not petty. Michelle Obama articulated this well, ‘When they go low, we go high’.
This speaks to the way above-the-line leaders do not give away power to the below-the-line behaviours of others. They do not allow another person’s behaviour to determine their own.
In a team, this becomes even more critical as the leader’s behaviour sets the standard for all interpersonal relationships. This means that, at times, leaders rise up and step outside of any reactive responses to lead from a higher place.
What is required are key leadership skills of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management and self-leadership. Within the team environment, leaders use these to build a strong, positive leadership presence; they role model a strong set of behavioural standards and set a strong high road.
Case Study
One of the most exemplary senior leaders I have worked with is Anika. She holds a very senior role in a large corporation and is exceptionally talented in the way she strongly models and creates a positive and hopeful environment.
Anika brings a powerful level of empathy and kindness that sets a compelling tone for her colleagues. This presence is non-negotiable. Regardless of how poorly others behave, Anika always maintains her equanimity and respectfulness.
An example of this was when Anika inherited a direct report who was extremely smart and used his intellect to play subtle psychological games within their leadership team. Anika found ways to set clear boundaries. She stayed grounded and respectful in her behaviour towards him and, over time, she was able to expose his below-the-line behaviour in ways that resulted in him leaving the workplace. She had the courage to have tricky conversations and point out how his subtle behaviour was undermining the strong interpersonal fabric of the team.
A thriving workplace ecosystem needs leaders like Anika who take the interpersonal environment seriously, who are prepared to set the tone and model above-the-line behaviours, and who have the skills and courage to address interpersonal behaviours when they dip below the line.
Link to the webinar here.