The Ripples we create as Leaders

As a business leader, we are naturally in a powerful position. We are in charge of people’s work, projects and even well-being. Because of this dynamic, we create ripples and don’t always hear the truth from those we work with to understand what chaos we may have created. This can become toxic very quickly when we don’t have a check and balance system to let us know when we have flexed too hard and are causing more harm than good.

I watch this struggle with every business leader I work with as a coach and a marketer, and in the business culture at large. In fact, I am thinking about this all the time coming off the great resignation and now seeing the flip from remote work to RTO (return to office): what are causing these huge swings?

The best answer I have is that it is easy for business leaders to focus on the big picture, but also easy for leaders lose track of the people they are leading.

When we lose track of the humans we get to work with everyday, they become isolated, insecure and disengaged. But they are disengaging in a different way than in past because of the way that technology has connected everyone. People are frustrated and voicing this, creating more ripples back to leaders.

I am not advocating for leaders to walk on eggshells or employees uniting to make demands. We can do something in between this that is healthy for both sides.

Anytime a problem is discovered, one of the best first steps is just being aware. Become aware of the ripples that we are causing.

So how do you even start? Here are a few best practices:

Listen: Before you act, take the time to do your research and really listen. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Pause & Ask: Before you change a policy or hit send on a email, take a few seconds to reflect on how this will be received. What work is being created with this? Is this distracting or supporting the goals we have set? What is the worst that could happen? What is the best that can happen?
Ask Your Inner Circle: As a leader, you need an inner circle of people who will give you an honest answer. This is best if you have multiple perspectives from multiple types of people. This can include someone within your organization who can go toe-to-toe with you, a coach, a therapist, a business leader small group, a mentor, etc.

When we become aware, we can see the habits that we have that need to change so that we can become more intentional. This practice also helps us course-correct quickly if our best intentions did not go as planned. We are all connected so we are always going to cause some type of ripple with our actions. Our goal as leaders is to create intentional ripples that support the greater good and human beings we get to work with.