As a leader, saying I am sorry is your responsibility. It helps healing and looking forward, it gives perspective, it makes you human.
It is also your responsibility to not make of I am sorry an empty sentence. If you find yourselves saying that too often, as a reaction to the same situations, it should be clear it is time for you for a change.
If you do really care about the well-being of your employees, set the right example.
Go on holiday.
Avoid late night emails.
Go home early.
Take time for a walk.
Delegate and prioritize.
Do not be always on.
It starts with you.
Fear is irrational. Pretending to reason when fear kicks in is pointless.
What we can do is keep in mind that fear is one version of reality. Not the nicest one. Not the most realistic one. Just one of the many that are possible at any given time.
When you put fear in this context, things will slowly become to look less scary.
Good job! is not feedback.
I like how you handled the situation is not feedback.
We are hiring somebody to support you is not feedback.
Performance reviews are not feedback.
The truth is, we rarely get feedback we can work with. And part of the reason is that we probably don’t like it.
We need to be asking for feedback regularly and with intent. What do you want to know? What could help you on your path? What do you feel is important to you at this stage?
Feedback is not going to happen otherwise.
It’s not the next big thing. It’s not the role you want. It’s not the company you’d love to work for. It’s not the next 1,000 or 1,000,000 euros. It’s not the year that is starting soon or the new season.
For as much as having goals and ambitions can be fuel for your doing, make sure that does not get you burnt while you are seeking peace of mind.
In the end, it’s simply what you have here and now.
Get used to it.
You've got this 