The Leadership Ghost

With Halloween upon us, it seems timely to consider whether the Leadership Ghost comes out to haunt you from time to time.

What is the Leadership Ghost?
It represents a number of factors that undermine leadership effectiveness, often when least expected.

These could include:

• Uncertainty when faced with ambiguity
• Inability to be decisive
• Withdrawing from others when team members need to see and feel the presence of leadership

There could be many contributing reasons why leaders feel unnerved and haunted at times during their leadership journey.

Some are:

• Self-doubt and questioning your own strengths and capabilities to operate at the level your team and organisation need you to. Often when feeling fatigued and overwhelmed, it is easy to think you are not operating to your full potential and some limiting self-beliefs start to gnaw away at you. Tip: When this occurs, force yourself to identify and acknowledge data points which reinforce you are in fact doing a good job.
• Self-image as a leader. Has your self-image evolved at the same pace as your leadership level? Are you confident that you are focusing on the right things for the level of leadership you are in? If you don’t see yourself as a leader, why should anyone else? Tip: Develop the practice of intentional reflection at the end of each week, recognising where you have demonstrated effective leadership throughout the week that has been. You can also set your intentions for the following week.
• Role clarity. Are your role expectations clear? Do you have clarity on where you add the greatest value and what you need to be focusing on? Tip: Think about the things which you, and only you, can do in your role. These are likely to be the areas where you add the greatest value.

Do not be afraid of the Ghost.

Use its presence to check-in with yourself and re-set your anchor.

Focus your time on the key aspects of leadership that engage and empower those around you and be true to yourself, despite being set off course by the Ghost.

Make sure your leadership is a treat for those around you rather than a trick they would prefer to avoid.

Happy Halloween and weekend!

Jodie