To/By Leadership

Your leadership – which are your attitudes and behaviours while at work, directly impacts how each member of your team find their meaning in what they do. The more meaning, the more engagement. You are not directly responsible for your staff finding this, but you are directly responsible for creating the environment and culture that enables them to find their own meaning and purpose in what they do.

Meaning, as I define it is the clarity about your intention to contribute to something greater than just yourself – your impact on individuals, groups or the environment in meaningful and positive ways. It is about a way of being that creates a feeling of satisfaction and knowing that what you have done, or are doing is right. It has to mean something to you, for it to mean something to other people.

There is meaning found in all parts of your life of course – experiencing the simple day to day tasks that we perform, the meaning gained in pursuit of a passion to create or learn. It can be found without regard to how much you are paid or recognised for your performance. It may not even be about your role, but what your role contributes to those parts of your life that do give you meaning. Whatever guise it may take, it is a profoundly personal question.

You can start by creating a To/By leadership statement. To/By are doing words – ‘to’ indicates an intention, ‘by’ indicates the actions, attitudes, behaviours and emotions that bring that intention to life. To give you an example of this: To create an empowered, self motivated team by making myself emotionally and physically available, managing my own emotions, trusting, supporting through honest conversations. This can begin a deeper awareness of what you bring to your leadership and the congruence for what you think you do and what you actually do.

In times of crisis, change and uncertainty it is a great opportunity to reflect on your leadership and how you are showing up for it; how you are creating a space for your team to find their own meaning in shifting work conditions and emotions. 

Your people really need you right now, they need your leadership now more than ever.

Photo courtesy Mark Fletcher-Brown on Unsplash