Do you know what is one of your biggest challenges as a leader? 🤔
To know who YOU are as a leader 💪
And it’s also one of the most important…
The traditional stereotype of “LEADER” is a middle-aged straight white man of the Alpha variety
– and if you don’t look or feel like that, you can struggle 😬
How should you behave? What should you be doing? 🤷♀️
(Notice the unhelpful shoulds there…)
And inevitably, you can struggle with Imposter Syndrome, because you don’t feel like you FIT 😩
But the truth is that ANYONE can be a great leader – you’ve just got to work out who YOU are as a leader 😊🙌
And it’s also crucial to recognise:
– if you don’t do this consciously (ie deliberately decide what type of leader you want to be, and then act in accordance with that)
– your identity as a leader will still be created – it will just be by default 😬
Extrapolated from your actions. Not through your conscious choice 😔
A good exercise to do is to imagine two colleagues who know you, but not very well, talking about you 🗣
One says to the other, “that {first_name}, they’re…”
🔥 Which words do you want them to say?
Is it decisive? Is it kind? Is it trustworthy? Which words do YOU want? 🤷♀️
KNOWING this is the starting point to being able to CREATE it.
So do this exercise:
come up with a list of 3-5 words that you want others to be saying about you – about your specific characteristics as a leader.
And then think about how your daily actions can live up to these descriptors.
✅ If you’re decisive, it means you take even difficult decisions efficiently.
✅ If you’re kind, it means you check in on your staff’s wellbeing.
✅ If you’re trustworthy, it means you follow through on what you said you would do.
Really work out how to live up to these characteristics that you want to be known for on a moment-by-moment, granular level in your working life 🤔
As a result, you will be curating your reputation
– and you will also be living up to the leader that you know you want to, and can, be 😄💪
Wishing you a positive, productive, and LEADERSHIP IDENTITY-filled week! 😊🔥💪
with much love 😊🧡
Kirsten xx
