New Year, New Leadership Goals
We saw the value of empathy skyrocket in importance and implementation across the workplace more than ever in 2020. 2021 must build on that momentum. Leaders must establish a foundation of compassion and empathetic leadership in order to drive opportunity for employees.
At its core, leadership in the workplace is all about having and sharing a vision with an organization and to inspire employees to believe in that vision and work together to make it a reality. However, implementing this leadership practice and pursuing collaborative success requires leaders to take a back seat to their own personal goals and channel their focus on developing and motivating the people who work for them.
Here are some things leaders can practice to execute a refreshingly human approach to leadership and to create goals for the new year.
Purpose.
What is your ‘why’? “Purpose is a superpower that energises individuals, teams and organizations,” says Sarah Rozenthuler, author of Powered by Purpose: Energise your people to do great work. “When work feels meaningful, we no longer feel drained, demotivated or scattered. Our energy flows and our confidence grows.”
There must come a point that we stop analyzing the events of 2020 and we pivot that time and effort into planning resolutions for 2021. Discover a ‘why’ to introduce light into the workplace following a dark year.
Confidence.
2020 was about survival. 2021 must be about opportunity. Opportunity must be seized and employees must be inspired to believe that they can overcome their fear of uncertainty by reclaiming what's theirs.
The best way for leaders to successfully inspire their employees is through stories. Storytelling as a leader is about sharing a narrative in a way that becomes both memorable and actionable. The leader must live the message and be a symbol for hope for anyone who may be feeling fearful or overwhelmed.
Empathy.
Empathy rules the day and the virtual workplace considering the year people had in 2020. Leaders must go the extra mile to show that they care about their employees by making them feel heard and understood. It’s one thing to ask how someone is and it’s another thing to ask how they are managing or how they are feeling. The more empathy leaders apply, the broader their reach becomes enabling relationships to grow by both depth and breadth.
Leaders must repurpose their lens or purchase a new pair of glasses to see beyond their own perspective and expand their territory with the consideration of others.
Shepherd.
In unprecedented circumstances and times of unfailing fear, leaders must act as a shepherd and herd their flock, or people in this case. This level of leadership requires a mentality of accountability and responsibility. Much like a military leader's mindset, leaders can't afford to lose anyone.
To shepherd or tend to the needs of your employees requires a combination of empathy, emotional intelligence, humility, and vision.
We may not be completely out of the woods yet, but 2021 has the potential to be the year of the reset. Leaders must stick to their resolutions for the new year and pursue a human approach to leadership to enable the success of others and to rise as a collective.