set reset” to yield exceptional results. Here are five ways
you can get started today:
Step 1: Fire Yourself
Now is the perfect time to fire your old thoughts and be-
haviors around leadership, creating room for new ideas
and possibilities to enter. Imagine this: what if your skepti-
work? If you had to choose two words that represented
your leadership “feels,” what would they be?
Pull from the strengths that you use daily and reflect
on the things that come naturally to you. How can you
show up as the beacon of possibility that will light the
way for your team?
Here are a few two-word combinations to get you
cism around change was simply unexpressed hope? What
if the biggest obstacle to the success of your team was
your mindset?
As leaders, we are primed to look for mistakes, focus on
the areas we think need to be fixed and seek out the
weakest link. The challenge is that this type of fixed mind-
set creates a leadership model built on doubts, fear and going: Kind and calm, steady and creative, inclusive and
generous, purposeful and present, patient and proactive,
energetic and peaceful, consistent and clear. These are
two-word combinations to strive for as a leader; think criti-
cally about how to make your team view your leadership
in that way.
failure, instead of one built on strengths, possibility and
growth.
Human beings are conditioned to magnify the neg-
ative and minimize the positive. It has been said that neg-
ativity sticks to us like Velcro and positivity slides off us
like Teflon. By “firing” yourself and your old thoughts, I am
inviting you to flip that switch and make positivity stick
for good. Step 3: Change Your Leadership Shape
Step 2: Live Your Words
Long after your team has forgotten what you said, they
will remember how you made them feel.
Research by Gallup, Inc. reveals that 89 percent of em-
ployers think that people leave because of money. While
that is true for some people, 75 percent of employees ac-
tually say they leave because of their boss and a lack of
appreciation.
How do you want your team to feel when they are get-
ting ready to come to work? How do you want your team
to feel when they are at work? And how do you want your
team to feel when they are at home and thinking about
The leadership model of the past was top-down. More re-
cently, many leaders transitioned to a service-based model
that was bottom-up—but both of these models are flawed
because they are built on rank and positioning. When per-
forming your mindset reset, think about how your busi-
ness would change if it was no longer a hierarchical
pyramid, but rather was a circular wheel of community
and collaboration.
The goal of leadership is a circle built upon trust, and
that trust is built on the team of “us”—just as the word
“trust” itself cannot be spelled without “us.” Therefore, a
circular leadership structure must be fueled by the ideas,
energy, commitment and enthusiasm of you and your
work community. When envisioning this new leadership
model, think of the following tenets:
l Authenticity: A culture where people can bring their
“whole” self to work—not just their highlight reel.
l Curiosity: A work atmosphere where people are not
afraid to share bold and out-of-the-box ideas.
l Meaning and Purpose: An environment where work is
“When each team member is in their genius zone,
you can see it. Their body language changes.
Their eyes light up. They become fully engaged,
and distraction is no longer a problem.”
MAY 2020
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PULSE
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