Being a Better Leader Today: Get Out of Your Own Way
“Can I even factor, that I’ve only been an actor. In this staged interpretation of this day? Focused on the shadow, with my back turned to the light. Too intelligent to see it’s me in the way.” -Lauryn Hill
Every client who I coach has a “something” that gets in his or her own way. Sometimes it is anger towards others in their organization, impatience, fear of being judged, being the only woman on the executive team, past mistakes, a different professional or personal background and the list goes on. Their inability to transcend this “something” trumps their ability to live up to their full leadership potential. So how does one get out of their own way? There are three rules:
Rule #1: Do not make it all about you.
Don’t indulge in a blame game or victim mentality. I have had executives who in an “aha” moment share that once they stopped making whatever situation they were facing all about them, they were able to step up to the plate and be the leader that they could and needed to be.
Rule #2: Give benefit of the doubt to others…
even when they doubt you. Time and time again, I find executives who want more out of their teams yet at the core don’t believe the team can do it. Or who think less of themselves when they hit a rough patch and are no longer the rising star of the company. Being able to get past yourself and see the possibilities in other’s capacity is fundamental in reaching a new vision.
Rule #3: Laser focus on what works and cut out the noise.
As executives, it is easy to get caught up in one’s own internal noise and that being made by the organization. It is imperative to check your assumptions, the mindset by which you are viewing your leadership role and organization, and laser focus on the ones that will help you put your best foot forward.
So next time you find yourself in a leadership challenge, check the rules. You may find that part of your success to make it to the end will be based on your ability to get out of your own way.
Getting out of one’s own way as a leader starts with recognizing when you are in the way. This requires taking a step back, helicoptering up and looking at the situation from the outside. Think of a challenging situation that you face now whether it is interpersonally, trying to move a change initiative along or transitioning into new responsibilities.
Reflection Questions
- What are you doing to help the situation? What are you doing that either maintains the status quo or negatively impacts the situation?
- How does your mindset or attitude towards yourself and/or others need to change to get to where you are trying to go?
- What one step are you willing to take to get out of your way to being a better leader today?
– Muriel Maignan Wilkins