KINDNESS IN LEADERSHIP
It ’ s important that you realize your primary job as a leader is to support your team and ensure they are effective . Remember :
• Your job is not to do the team ’ s job for them , stepping in whenever the forecast gets challenging , or the schedule alignment gets off track .
• You also aren ’ t expected to stay in your ivory tower of leadership and simply pass down decisions and directions .
COLLABORATION IN LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE SPENDING TIME GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE AS PEOPLE ( PEERS , YOUR TEAM MEMBERS , YOUR BOSS ).
As a leader your job is to connect with the people who report to you , understand what is in their way , and how you can remove that challenge or equip them to overcome it .
Kindness in leadership starts with taking a supportive posture with your team . This then leads to a simple truth : the team ’ s failure is your failure ; their success is their success .
This last one is an incredibly hard concept and practice . Especially if your love language is words of affirmation and you appreciate being recognized , like myself .
But one of the greatest displays of leadership is owning when your team goes off track and making the case as to why it ’ s your fault . And when they are successful , you step aside and give them all the credit and glory .
One way that I ' ve tried to encourage a kind and supportive environment is by discouraging any example of " us versus them ."
It ' s all too easy for WFM and operations to be at odds with each other . " They always ..." or " we never do this to them , but they are always doing it to us ..."
Yes , sometimes WFM and Operations have different goals . But regardless of how frustrated we get with them it doesn ' t help to villainize them or assume the worst .
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Instead , I reinforce " they are doing the best they can with what they have " and " assume the best of people ." That it isn ’ t “ us versus them ” but “ us and them .” It ' s small reframes like these that I encourage my team to do daily .
COLLABORATION IN LEADERSHIP
Collaboration in leadership looks like spending time getting to know people as people ( peers , your team members , your boss ). Here ’ s why you should do it :
• When we see people are more than the buttons they push , the data on their scorecards , or the decisions they give us , we ’ re able to better connect and communicate with them .
• As we see people more complexly , they will feel seen and heard , which allows us to collaborate more effectively and gain value and insights from those relationships .
But too often WFM professionals come into meetings with solutions before we ’ ve even heard the problem .
• We go into a meeting about training , and we ’ ve already figured out when Operations can and cannot train .
• We hear Operations talking about their need to do coaching : and we already know which metrics they should be coaching on .
When we jump to these conclusions , we short-circuit the opportunity to share information . Instead , I suggest that WFM professionals come and listen to these teams first . Listen , build relationships , understand the others ’ goals they are trying to achieve , and only then should we be offering solutions . Yes , it ’ s a bit slower of a process , but the results are absolutely worth the time investment !
How I ' ve encouraged collaboration is by working to not simply take information from other teams but also give it . Here ’ s what we do :
• When meeting with Marketing I want to know when they are doing their campaigns , but I ' m also going to share when might be a better date because of Operations or other team ' s priorities .
• When meeting with Telecom I ' ll be sure to share what ops is thinking about and how it may impact them .
• When collaborating with others I want to make sure that I ' m adding as much , if not more , value than I ' m taking .
WFM leaders need to make sure they aren ' t simply connecting with others to turn information into data to forecast , but they are also looking to add value to those other teams .
CHAOS IN LEADERSHIP
Leading through chaos demands not only emotional intelligence but also strategic foresight . As leaders , we must recognize that while we can ' t control every emotion , we can control our reactions .
Leadership amidst chaos begins with self-awareness : acknowledging your emotional triggers and consciously choosing your responses . This approach ensures that the values of curiosity , kindness , and collaboration remain steadfast , even in turbulent times .
The key to managing crises effectively is consistency in our behavior , regardless of the situation . If we react by shutting down , assuming the worst , or taking on all responsibilities alone , it can undermine the trust and integrity we ' ve built within our teams .
How you act under pressure often becomes the definitive test of your leadership . Maintaining a composed and proactive demeanor is crucial , as it sets the tone for the entire team and ensures that crisis responses align with our established values . To navigate chaos more effectively , I stress the importance of networking and having a pre-established crisis plan . Effective networking helps ensure that all relevant parties are promptly informed and engaged when issues arise , enhancing our collective response efficiency .