Jekyll and Hyde Leadership
How do you manage your triggers?
Too much pressure will bring out the worst in our behaviour. Every leader has their triggers - the situations that bring out the Mr or Mrs Hyde overpowering even the best intentions of Dr Jekyll, with harsh deadlines, insensitive critique or worse, toxic communication and divisiveness.
So how do you ensure that the dark side, or your shadow as it is known in Jungian psychology, doesn't destroy your relationships, team performance and even your business?
Leading others carries a great deal of responsibility. However, it is not to be carried alone. There is danger in holding the fort solo.
If you find this is the case then you do not have a healthy functioning senior leadership team. Control and trust are opposites.
No guesses which feeds the monster Hyde.
- Beware your need for total control which can easily happen when the stakes are high. The tighter you hold control of everything, the less trusting you are of your team and more closed to their views and ideas.
- Be open with your team when situations are becoming increasingly overwhelming and discuss the real issues. All too often the real issues are not discussed openly and honestly for fear of looking as if you're failing for not having a grip of everything all of the time. We are all human and no-one can hold it all together all of the time.
- Feedback is vital. You need to canvas views from your team on how they perceive your leadership approach and if they see changes in your behaviour that signify the onset of the dark side. If they cannot do this honestly and safely, then again you have serious trust issues in your team that need to be addressed.
- Self-awareness and emotional intelligence go hand in hand. Increasing your emotional intelligence is vital for strong leadership. Understanding the sensitivities in good communication - timing, tonality, body language - when to empower and when to critique. The greater your self-awareness, the more you will spot when your own behaviour is sliding down the scale from a sharp temper to the murky depths of arrogance, omnipotence and even dishonesty. Everyone can learn how to increase emotional intelligence however, it takes courage to face the mirror and see our full reflection.
Managing your triggers requires vigilance on a moment by moment basis.
How are you proactively increasing awareness of your triggers and how you can manage them? If you want to find out more or refresh your understanding of the shadow check out podcast episode 11 or watch this video.