Adding value to leaders
Have you ever experienced difficult situations at work and left feeling that this you have little left to offer?
In the context of the workplace the term resilience is often associated with the capacity to thrive, rather than just survive in high stress environments but over the past two years, I have experienced resilience as a way to survive and not thrive.
Even though resilience is the ability to cope under pressure, to recover from difficulties and to bounce back more quickly the care sector has not always allowed this to happen. There seems to be an endless list of things to do, most of which are a priority. Our teams need constant guidance and attention and to follow an agenda which is not always set by me as their leader.
The Estia Centre’s ‘Developing Your Team’s Resilience’ training opened my eyes to another dimension of the term ‘resilience’, a dimension that pushes beyond limits during difficult times to bring out the best in people and situations. A dimension that helps each one of us to thrive and access to higher level of potential, whether we are a leader or team member.
Knowing my team members and developing wellbeing plans with them is a useful tool to have at hand, especially when things are very busy. Everyone has a need to feel valued in the workplace and be seen for what they do, especially when working in the social care where we tend to give a lot and receive little at times. My role as a leader is to develop great observation skills and bring to light areas in people that need to be recognised and celebrated, develop and grow.
I now want to involve the team to be more resilient and lead on their agenda. For example, involving them in a problem-solving group or in a peer learning group might take more time on my side to set up, but would definitely be worth doing in the long term. This will initiate and bring to life the creativity in the team and re-energise areas that may seem mundane to deal with.
I believe leading and managing in the health and social care sector is different to other areas of management. The good thing is that most of the employees are doing their jobs with a great motivation with values are connected to the values of the organisation.
‘Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality’
(Bennis, 2008)
This Estia Centre’s training had a great impact on my work and the way I look at what means to be resilient. I realised during this training that being resilient, setting clear expectations and having a clear vision helps me and my team to be more effective and have a greater job satisfaction. This is what I aim to achieve, and this way still be able to feel that I can offer something and not run on dry energy.
‘Make a commitment to grow daily’
(John Maxwell, 2000)
I would like to end this by encouraging leaders out there to commit to being a leader that adds value to others. Be in service to your team, show empathy, live your vision and translate that vision into simple, easily to follow steps. By doing this you will build a strong and resilient team. Remember, that learning to be an effective leadership is an ongoing journey, so don’t be afraid to learn from the imperfect steps you take
For further reading I would like to suggest
- ‘Developing the Leader within you’ by John C. Maxwell (2005)
- ‘Self-Aware Leader: Play to Your Strengths, Unleash Your Team’ by John C. Maxwell 2021)
- The Now Habit at Work: Perform Optimally, Maintain Focus, and Ignite Motivation in Yourself and Others’ by Neil Fiore (2010)
About the author
Iulian Iacob is a Service Coordinator for a supported living service. He is passionate about providing excellent care and thriving to be a Leader with outstanding management skills.
References
Bennis, W.G. (2008) 'Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality', Journal of Property Management, 73(5), 13
Maxwell, J.C. (2000) in Success: One day at a time. Nashville, TN: J. Countryman, pp. 8–11.
