Along with strategic thinking and making business decisions, being a modern leader involves managing mental health, wellbeing, psychological safety, diversity, and inclusion. Leaders are required to be strong yet vulnerable, provide both autonomy and protection, and be clear and straightforward yet also understand complex nuances – a list of expectations that if not unrealistic is certainly exhausting.

And then there's the fallout from the pandemic.

Unprecedented changes in the history of modern working

Lockdowns presented an existential threat in some sectors, furlough kept some companies from collapsing, while others fell despite herculean efforts. For many, leadership suddenly became about managing a workforce at home in their slippers, which improved work/life balance and productivity for some workers but made others miserable.

With many people returning to the office, we are seeing eruptions of pent-up grievances, and now leaders must become agile during hard conversations, patient in mediation, and, where necessary, resolute in facilitating exits.

If we're not careful, leaders are going to be asking themselves to display MCU levels of super-human ability. Is it any wonder that burnout rates in leadership are reaching alarming heights and many people are seeking less stressful roles? What we need is to find a balance between qualities and expectations while managing to motivate and inspire people.

Here are five ways to achieve this:

1. Acknowledge that you can't be everything to everyone

It's unlikely you will ever be the leader everyone wants you to be, so get to know your limitations.

Often, leaders are told to iron out and expand their limitations. Yet, this will often leave you giving up developing your strengths by overextending yourself into a weakness. There's simply not enough time to focus on both. Instead, it is usually possible to find ways around your limitations. If you're not great at organisation, you can find support from a deputy, for example.

Start by finding your unique advantage - the place where the Venn diagram of strengths, business needs, and personal enjoyment overlap. Anything else, you can either work on improving or find someone else to plug the gaps.




2. Seek out feedback

You may think that your organisation skills are weak but perhaps your team doesn't need organising as much as they need attention to detail. Draw feedback from a variety of trusted sources, looking for themes and perspectives on your behaviour. A third-party training provider or a coach can be invaluable for this activity. They can gain honest feedback, filter out unhelpful content, and present key themes in a way that avoids hot buttons.

Once you have identified your unique strengths and values and your weak spots, you know what to focus on to improve.




3. Be realistic about goals

Avoid setting goals that your brain won't accept. If it's not relevant to you or your role or doesn't fit your personality, achieving that goal becomes incredibly hard (if not impossible). Also avoid being distracted by the ‘next big thing' – fads fade.

Once you have identified relevant and useful goals, begin practising them in a safe environment. Applying new strategic thinking skills to a multi-million-pound pitch is risky and could lead to a major setback. Instead, try applying it to your internal strategy first and get feedback from the wider team to help you improve.




4. Avoid burnout by settling boundaries

It's important to get used to saying ‘no' without saying ‘no' – being unavailable without making a big deal about it. When the business is fast-paced and mission-led, your case for your own wellbeing can go unheard, but you can still manage it for yourself.

Make time for yourself and define boundaries, such as committing to no phone in the evenings, or promise yourself not to work late at least two nights a week. You don't need to broadcast when you will be unavailable, simply be unavailable. People will get used to these quiet boundaries.




5. Find a coach or mentor

Coaches and/or mentors can be an invaluable resource. They allow you to express your own fears and frustrations and they can provide different perspectives. But be sure to find someone who is qualified. It may also be useful to ask whether they are appropriate to your profession. Needing to explain the context and industry to your coach can be a massive waste of time. Background technical knowledge can be extremely useful.

By Karen Meager, Monkey Puzzle Training

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Meager is co-founder of Monkey Puzzle Training, a leadership development and organisational design consultancy. Monkey Puzzle works with business leaders to help align teams, support innovation, build sustainable organisations and develop exceptional people who are better able to achieve results - giving leaders more time to do what they do best.

www.monkeypuzzletraining.co.uk

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-meager

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mclachlan/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/monkey-puzzle-training-and-consultancy-limited/