In last week’s post, ‘Promotion or punishment? The truth about leadership,’ I reflected, perhaps cynically, on the darker underbelly of leadership—things you don’t necessarily consider when you’ve just accepted a new role.
This week, I share some different perspectives. I invited contributions through my LinkedIn leadership connections- and they didn’t disappoint. Here, I share their thoughts on both the positives and some of the less palatable aspects of leadership.
Pros
Leadership is fundamentally about the people
Many of the ‘Pros’ emphasised the satisfaction of creating an environment where people can flourish. Nurturing individuals and empowering them to take responsibility for realising their potential is one of the most rewarding aspects of leadership.
‘Creating an environment and opportunities for excellent people to do brilliant work that makes a difference. That can have so much more impact than one individual and have all the fulfilment and positivity of shared endeavour.’ Dr Nalayini Thambar, Director of Professional Services and expert strategic leader.
‘Leadership gives me the opportunity to build and contribute to teams of great people.’ Adam Middleton EnergetIQ Advisory, Ltd.
‘You get to know your team and recognise their strengths, and if the opportunity arises, see the individuals in your team flourish as a result. If like me you value the individual interaction and getting to know the person, this is the daily affirmation that keeps you stimulated’. Jai Shah. Team Leader, King’s College London.
‘Learning that you can enable your team by recognising they’re adults with their own agency. You don’t have to control everything. You don’t have to read their minds or have all the answers. You can just ask them what they need and trust them with it. But enabling people takes real work and discipline – it’s not passive. It means actively building their skill and confidence, resisting the urge to jump in and fix things, and trusting the process even when it would be faster to just do it yourself.’ Rachel Reeds, Interim Deputy Director, External Engagement , Plymouth Marjon University.
Leadership provides access to development opportunities and people with different perspectives
‘Leadership roles offer transformational personal and professional development and expose you to a whole new level of workplace dynamics. This can be very enlightening. Such roles offer broader opportunities to learn, change and experiment. You’ll meet fabulous people also on the leadership journey.’
Leadership broadens your perspective, enabling you contribute to the organisational strategy
‘I enjoy contributing to strategic direction and influencing that towards a more integrated approach to employability and seeing this as a whole institution responsibility to deliver lifelong career development skills for graduates.‘ Yasmina Mallam-Hassam, incoming Head of Employability and Enterprise, University of Brighton.
Leadership affords opportunities to make a real difference
‘You can feel and see the impact of your work every day, in the work and in people’s faces‘. Megan Hewitt Lead for Learning for Faculties and Women’s Development – Open University.
‘The most positive aspect of leadership is that you are in a position to make a real difference to an issue or concern that will improve people’s lives‘. Professor Christina Hughes.
‘It provides the opportunity to make a real difference in steering the ship‘. Paul Thain, Managing Director, Infrastructure, North Staffs University.
‘Having the licence to develop ideas and directions that are not so constrained by norms and historic ways of working. Everybody should feel empowered to do this, but being in a senior role often helps to liberate you.’ Dan Derricott, Director of Education Policy and Quality.
‘You shape the future and help people grow‘. Sabrina Mercer Head of Strategy UK & I Siemens Energy.
Cons
It’s political
Once you move into a leadership role, politics will play a major role in many aspects of what you do. That may be about funding decisions and learning how to successfully bid for additional resources. It might be learning how to handle ‘tricky’ individuals. You’ll need to understand the power dynamics at play to succeed as a leader.
‘I think leadership can be difficult in times of uncertainty when difficult decisions need to be made that could adversely impact the student and staff experience.’ Yasmina Mallam-Hassam.
‘Sometimes you need more flexibility and mental independence than leadership roles provide, especially if you are conscientious and the working environment expects compliance with the party line which doesn’t sit easily with you.’ Liz Wilkinson
Everything is your fault
‘You are often quietly, confidentially, diplomatically navigating rocky landscapes and negotiating situations that you can’t share as ‘works in progress’ or it’s not appropriate to do so. It means people can think you are slow/don’t care about their issue/aren’t doing anything and feel disappointed or frustrated. Sometimes you just can’t ‘set the record straight’ and have to take the hit.’
There are times when you will feel uncomfortable; sandwiched between senior leaders and the decisions they make and your staff, who may not be happy with what you’re required to do. People like to have someone to blame. You may find yourself at times in that position.
‘Leadership where you have all of the Liability with little or no Authority or Responsibility is one of my poorest experiences.’ Adam Middleton.
‘You will be in a position where you are the bearer of news that not everyone likes, and are responsible for adhering to the policy and priority of the organisation despite the impact on the people you are responsible for‘. Jai Shah.
‘Sometimes as a leader you have to make the hard calls and take the heat for the greater good.’ JR Weiser.
‘Always too much pull on matters not going quite right’. Paul Thain.
It’s hard work…
There is no escaping the fact that with responsibility, comes more work. You will have less control over your calendar and work, along with the worries that can bring, will bleed into out of hours and weekends at times.
‘The downside of leadership roles is that they usually come with excessive and exhausting workloads‘. Professor Christina Hughes.
‘Wrestling with guilt. There are so many ways you could spend your time and are expected to spend your time, but you cannot be across everything all of the time. Learning to trust your judgement, manage expectations and make the voice of guilt in your mind quieter is essential to staying well and productive in the long run.’ Dan Derricott.
Authenticity
This is a challenge. You may be moving from a role where it’s fine to be your authentic self. Leadership requires a much more guarded approach There will be many times when you’re tempted to sigh deeply or roll your eyes. You’ll need to become far more circumspect about what you share with others. Sometimes you simply cannot share information. You’ll need to develop a poker face.
‘Finding the balance between showing vulnerability and maintaining respect/credibility can be a fine line, and the line can be in different places for different people.’ Megan Hewitt.
Leadership can be lonely
It’s important to build trusted allies, both within and outside your organisation who you can vent with.
‘It can be lonely. If you get things right, people might not recognise how much effort it took to get there’. Sabrina Mercer.
And finally, back to the people…
One of the most challenging things about being a leader is that you can invest heavily in trying to nurture your team. However, you cannot make people change. Even when you know it’s imperative, for people’s survival, with the threat of restructures.
‘Accepting that you can’t control everything. Your team members have their own agency and responsibility. You can create the conditions, offer support, ask the right questions – but you can’t make them want to develop, engage, or change. You can care deeply about their growth and still have limits on what you can – and ought to – actually do.’ Rachel Reeds.
In summary
If you’re contemplating a move into a leadership role, I hope these reflections prove useful.
My grateful thanks to those who responded to my invitation on LinkedIn to share their thoughts on this topic.