The Modern Leadership Issue - 23

1
Work autonomously; take
on the work of their team
members so that it's done
right and done fast.
5
Workload gets
more intense and
performance declines.
Alex began by writing down who they
aspired to be as a leader. Their
leadership mantra became, " I empower,
develop, and support team members
in service of achieving our team goals, "
acting as their north star. Of course, it
was not easy to live by this mantra
when scary or challenging situations
came up. For example, letting go of
control felt unsettling and risky. In
these instances, Alex relied on their
leadership mantra while also tuning
into their body and emotions.
2
Receive new
important
strategic team
objectives.
They began by looking inside,
reflecting on questions that gave them
more clarity:
What's this feeling I'm having?
4
Team members
are not taking
ownership, are not
engaged, and are
disconnected.
What's underneath it? (e.g., am I seeking
security by controlling what's around me
at all costs?)
3
Take on more work
because they don't
have confidence
that others will do
a good job.
How does this response limit or work
against me becoming the leader I aspire
to be?
How might my perception of this situation
change if I viewed it through the lens of
my aspirational leadership mantra?
What action will I take to move me
toward that aspiration?
problem-reacting tendencies were rooted in past experiences
where people had not come through for them, resulting in loss
and hardship.
This vicious cycle continued until one quarter, Alex's team did not
achieve their team objectives. Alex's next-level leader stepped in
to share their observation that Alex was not successfully leading
their team, and suggested that they work together on an
improvement plan. Alex reached out to their team members via a
360-degree survey for feedback. Although this feedback was
initially devastating for Alex, it also opened their eyes
to a blind spot; and it prompted a complete reframe.
Receiving feedback was a catalyst for Alex,
kickstarting their transformative leadership journey.
By uncovering the root causes of their reactive
behaviors, Alex gained a deeper self-awareness of
their triggers and began challenging the assumptions
and beliefs that limited them. With the support of
their next-level leader and other mentors and coaches,
These prompts allowed Alex to recognize
the reaction happening within their body,
providing a new frame to guide their actions.
CONTINUED on next page
PERFORMANCE MATTERS / PG 23
The Modern Leadership Issue

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