Four years ago this month, I wrote a blog post reflecting on the need for more leaders to make conscious choices to affect who they are and how they impact others. Virtually half of our lives since that post have been spent living with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, including drastic changes to our working lives, and a whole new range of challenges for public and private leaders.
The pandemic has created numerous opportunities to rethink the way we structure everything from the way we work to the global economy. There were glimmers of willingness to take a different approach early on, however unfortunately it now seems that old habits are dying very hard.
There is one thing that is changing though, and it might be a catalyst for a little more introspection from some leaders. The ‘Great Resignation’ is seeing thousands of people in many countries leaving jobs after realising that their work doesn’t align with their values or because they are no longer willing to put up with a toxic environment. Stemming this ‘brain drain’ is going to take more than window dressing. It is going to take leaders making conscious choices about how they lead and the impact their decisions are having on their employees.
With that in mind, let’s revisit what I wrote in 2017.
If I had a magic wand that I could wave just once, it would be over the many ‘leaders’ we experience (both publicly and privately) who do not appear to be aware of their impact and the consequences of their behaviour on others.
Enabling these leaders to make conscious choices and implement mindful practices in order to create more meaningful interactions and respectful relationships would be my wish.
I do hold compassion for these leaders and the way they are currently ‘showing up’. I appreciate that the level of awareness they hold in relation to their impact on others is generally not high and that their basic fears and the resulting coping strategies they use drive their behaviour.
For example, when a leader (or anyone for that matter) perceives that their basic fear of being harmed or controlled by others, and thus becoming vulnerable, is about to be realised (whether that is true or not), their coping strategy is often to exert their will in order to remain strong and in charge of their life and that of others.
Gayle
