11 Ways to Be a Happier Leader
Leadership brings with it daunting responsibilities and challenges and many talented individuals end up developing ulcers because of how they choose to lead. Not everyone can design an ideal situation where they can do anything they want, but you may have options available to you that only require a small shift in perspective. Here are some examples of leadership behaviors that make people miserable:
- Micromanaging.
- Worrying about everything.
- Lack of planning.
- Running from one emergency to another.
- Getting angry.
- Feeling stressed.
- Not building teams.
- Not communicating effectively.
- Pretending certain problems don’t exist.
- Never taking a break.
- Negative attitude.
Think about whether you do any of these things and how they impact your leadership style and general well-being. These behaviors not only affect you, they also affect the functioning of your employees and the overall success of the organization. What if you could change direction and make your life easier? You might do it by behaving like this:
- Encouraging people to use their talents and abilities, think autonomously and take action on their own.
- Don’t worry about everything, look at challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
- Develop short, medium and long term plans. They don’t have to be complicated, just a road map for what you want to do.
- Plan a little to avoid being in emergency mode all the time.
- Instead of getting angry take a break or smile.
- Do things that reduce stress like breathing or taking a walk.
- Encourage team building in your workplace.
- Practice effective communication.
- Prioritize and deal with problems you might normally ignore. Ask for help if you need it.
- Take breaks.
- Decide to have a positive attitude.
It’s usually around this point that I hear someone say, “Guy, this is all fine and good but who’s going to do all this stuff in the real world?” The answer is always you either do or you don’t because you get to decide how you behave in your workplace. Each day is an opportunity to move in a positive direction or stay stuck in misery. It’s your choice. What will you do to be a happier leader?
Take care,
Guy
Leadership Training and Team Building
