Even the most confident leaders can feel a little wobbly during times of significant change. After all, you’re dipping your toes into a great unknown where you may not have trekked before. Although you’ve probably gone through hundreds of changes, why do feelings of unease creep in?
It’s just what happens during change, plain and simple. And given your level of confidence and executive presence, this largely occurs internally and isn’t apparent to others.
How well do you really know your staff? Of course, you know the work they do and perhaps some of their interests. But how deep does your knowledge or insight really go?
One of my clients recently discovered that one of her employees is a regular marathon runner. He had competed in races for years and the only reason it came up was because another employee mentioned something about him raising money for a charity race.
Another client learned that one of her staff members was an enthusiastic traveler who successfully spreads out 2 weeks of vacation over long weekends and company holidays so that she takes 3-4 trips abroad each year. She had no clue.
I recently was a guest on The Complete Leader Podcast, talking about Entrepreneurial Leaders. More info and podcast below.
Our guest is Dr. Lisa Aldisert, who is president of Pharos Alliance. Dr. Aldisert is an executive coach who specializes in strategic planning, workplace trends and leadership development. She talks about her research of entrepreneurial leadership, and lists the skills that these leaders need to master. She defines the “adore and abhor syndrome,” and talks about some of the most common challenges of leaders who are subject-matter experts. She also offers a gift to our listeners!