My reflections on leadership come to a close.

Build trust

Trust conquers fear. Be a leader who builds a culture of mutual trust. Management by fear will get results but not in a healthy, creative, or continuous manner. You need to trust the ones you lead and their competence. If they fall short sometimes, as we all do, your job is to help them grow. Not smite them as the ruler. Fear will create a team of agree, i.e., your team will not give you honest feedback. Trust, on the other hand, builds creativity, diverse ideas, and inclusion. The critical aspect of building a culture of trust is focusing on behaviors and specifically making desirable behaviors stick, i.e., making them easy to do without relying on motivation and willpower. The level of which fluctuates and therefore is unreliable to count on long-term.

“Don’t focus your motivation on doing Behavior X. Instead, focus on making Behavior X easier to do.”

B. J. Fogg

Building a culture of trust is a practice and requires certain behaviors. As a leader, you should consider the following when working for a culture of trust. 

• Encourage and validate desirable behaviors
• Give positive and specific feedback often
• State core behaviors in your values statement
• Be open to and encourage discussion on the social climate and cooperation
• Have clear communication and state your expectations
• Ask for feedback genuinely
• Trust the competence of others

Build trust and focus on behaviors. Be visionary, balance your act and stay true.

Get it done

To get things done is a piece of classic advice yet a valuable one. We all procrastinate to some degree, sometimes it necessary by the act of prioritization, and the rest, well, we “do it another day.” When a deadline is approaching, we finally get the incentive to get it done and ask ourselves, why didn’t I do it right away? More often than not, the task we procrastinate is perceived to be more complicated than it is; hence we put it off. When doing the work right away, we can get a lot more done, increase peace of mind, and a constant stream of positive feelings of accomplishment.

Elijah had been a manager at the company for almost ten years. He was an appreciated leader and his department continuously put up great numbers. The CEO kept giving Elijah more responsibilities since she wanted to encourage such a well-functioning leader and unit. Elijah experienced an increase in confidence but also a constantly growing to-do-list. Despite delegation and a well-structured organization, he had a hard time keeping up. Not only did this affect his leadership, but it started to block the efficient and streamlined department. His late responses or full calendar had turned into speed bumps. Some sort of change was needed. He set off an hour in his calendar at the end of every workday during which he would move through his e-mail inbox. Removing his late responses and by that also some of the work-hindering speed-bumps.

Get it done and release your potential. Be visionary, balance your act and stay true.

A Mindset of the Learner

To lead is to learn. One of the essential traits of successful leadership is the mindset of the learner. Leadership is an ongoing process, just like learning. They should go hand in hand. Not only will a mentality of learning create better solutions and choices, but it will also affect the way to be a leader, your way of being. When we are humble and willing to question our perspective and knowledge, it creates an inclusive and respected behavior toward others. By acknowledging our own bias and disconnect the autopilot, we can thrive and unlock the potential of love and outstanding leadership.

How do we achieve the mindset of the learner? It’s an everyday practice and not a goal to check off a checklist. However, there are some valuable methods to incorporate in your leadership to walk the learner’s path.

• Get a mentor
• Mentor someone else
• Explore new knowledge – be it from a book, podcast, or conversation with a co-worker
• Try new ideas, even ones you are skeptical of
• Practice conscious awareness – to take breaks in the day and be

“Everything is figureoutable”

Marie Forleo

To close

Be visionary and visualize where you want to go. Lead towards your vision. It’s not going to be easy. To find the treasure, one must venture through dark caves, treacherous mountains, and shady forests, which might not be visible on your map. If you know where you want to go and your purpose, you will navigate through.

Balance is a fundamental term in my life, and I firmly believe it is crucial for any leader. There are always pitfalls, and being at the extremes is seldom an advantage. Balance your act.

Stay true to yourself, who you are as a human being, your values. It will pay off in the end.

Good luck!

Per Hydén