I am often amazed by how blind we are to our own faults especially when we are busy criticising others. I recently ran a leadership seminar for an international company and during one of the sessions the more senior people in the room started explaining how their bosses on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean were the real problem.
By the senior leaders kicking off the discussion this gave permission for others to wade in and enthusiastically criticise the executives in the company for all their woes. They explained how the behaviour of these executives made it very difficult for them to motivate their own teams. What they had failed to notice was how their own behaviour was having a negative impact on the less senior people in the room. Watching their own leaders admit that nothing would get better with the current executive leadership in place - something which clearly was not about to change - was very demotivating for them, and it was clear from their body language that they blamed their bosses sitting in front of them, rather than the more senior ones 10,000 miles away.
As leaders, we should focus on the things we can change, rather than the things we can't.
What we can change is staring right back at us, when we look in the mirror. So shine your mirror and improve your leadership.
By the senior leaders kicking off the discussion this gave permission for others to wade in and enthusiastically criticise the executives in the company for all their woes. They explained how the behaviour of these executives made it very difficult for them to motivate their own teams. What they had failed to notice was how their own behaviour was having a negative impact on the less senior people in the room. Watching their own leaders admit that nothing would get better with the current executive leadership in place - something which clearly was not about to change - was very demotivating for them, and it was clear from their body language that they blamed their bosses sitting in front of them, rather than the more senior ones 10,000 miles away.
As leaders, we should focus on the things we can change, rather than the things we can't.
What we can change is staring right back at us, when we look in the mirror. So shine your mirror and improve your leadership.
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