For me, the battle of leading starts in my mind. Why do I call it a battle? Because good leadership means taking the high road, the ethical road, the humble road, the selfless road. It takes courage. Too often, I am inclined to make decisions out of pride, out of fear, out of selfishness, or out of people pleasing. This is the battle for my mind. I have seen many others in leadership roles have similar struggles. Somewhere deep inside insecurities rise up. Often the reaction to the insecurities is to blame someone else for a problem, to be evasive rather than truthful when giving feedback, to minimize bad news rather than take it head on, or simply to avoid dealing with problems all together.
Why do I fight the battle for my mind rather than give in? The organization I work for and the people I work with rely on me to make decisions that are best for the company. They rely on me to confront problems. They rely on me to make choices that move the agency forward. To make make choices that allow us to more effectively accomplish the mission of the agency.
So what I have I found that helps me fight this battle for my mind?
- I seek to know what my insecurities are, acknowledge them, and challenge them.
- I allow myself to be open to criticism from anyone in our organization. I make it known that I have an open door policy and that I would rather people come and tell me any problem they have with me than talk behind my back.
- I work hard at listening to others and not being defensive when I am criticized. This is not easy but with practice it becomes a great learning tool.
- I practice stress management. For me this involves what I like to refer to as my three kinds of medication. Exercise, journaling, and meditation/prayer using Scripture (Lectio Divina).
The thing about this battle is that it never ends. Pressures wax and wane. Demands layer on top of each other. Every day, every month, every quarter, ever year brings new threats, new opportunities, and new challenges.
Those of us in leadership must actively engage the conflict between our insecurities and being the person our organization needs us to be.