Leadership can be grueling. The dark side of having a position in leadership is that more often than not you become the individual expected to solve all the problems. Even with the best intentions, leaders will find themselves slowly evolving from the individual tasked with inspiring, motivating and guiding…to the individual solely heading up the complaint department. It’s not an awesome position to be in!

Hard Truths

People can be and will be complicated. We are complex beings with souls, emotions, and egos…combined with complex life situations. Our society hasn’t helped many of us to become more self-aware or accountable. We’ve been living in a world of participation awards and safe spaces. We need to just acknowledge it for what it is. At its core, we’ve been told the world will accommodate us and our actions were the result of others. We’ve been told that if we don’t like something, it’s up to others to make us more comfortable. We spend more time on a screen than we do face to face. Whew…we all have a big pill to swallow, but without examining the real why…it’s hard to get to the real fix. 

Welcome to the Complaint Department

Working with leaders from all types of business, especially small business, I have the opportunity to speak to this often. From my perspective I have a non-emotional view, and fresh eyes. This is the value of bringing in an individual that does what I do. 

My job is to listen (which is difficult because I love to talk). I hear excellent leaders as they carry the burden of others. Great leaders lead from their hearts and their minds. They have a deep desire to see their staff happy, and that’s where the slippery slope to an undesired place begins. 

These leaders sit in a seat to help, and they are asked often, whether it’s staff conflict, job duties or grace. I watch as these leaders sift through the how. This can end up being a revolving door that puts them squarely in the position to try and solve all the problems. It can be overwhelming and draining, and lead to burnout or resentment. 

The Solution Zone

Imagine a world where individuals were driven towards healthy solutions to their obstacles? Now imagine this on a smaller scale…in the workplace!

The level of self-awareness it takes to move through the steps to become your own solution zone is the objective that leaders should build to achieve within their business! The goal is to build staff that learns how to create solutions to the problems that they face, whether it’s achievement, conflict, or strategy! 

Instead of micromanagement towards excellence (which doesn’t work), try upping the culture, establishing the bar, providing the tools, emphasizing habit stacking, motivating to confidence markers, and teaching and inspiring your staff to be bold in critical problem solving! This is where dream teams are made!! If you’d like help to assess your current culture, leadership strengths and employee strategies to work towards self-sufficiency click here to contact Be Industries!