Back in March, Project Resource Partners launched a series workshops that we saw as a way of being able to give back to clients and candidates. The initial thought was that we would have 3 or 4 of them, and they provide opportunities for some great speakers, motivators, business coaches and thought leaders to be able to potentially tap into new audiences. It was about trying to create some win-win possibilities for attendees and speakers alike.

Recently, we held the 12th and final workshop for 2020, and we were lucky enough to welcome former Wallaby and Super Rugby champion Beau Robinson. Beau used his experience in sport, in business and as a leadership coach to reinforce the importance of Self Leadership: Why it’s important to lead yourself before you lead your team. Given the events of 2020, I think it is fair to say that leaders have at times forgotten about themselves, to focus on their teams. What Beau illustrated, through what turned out to a very authentic and real discussion, was that through self-leadership our teams and results really do benefit.

These are my top 10 takeaways from a workshop that allowed us to reflect on our 2020 as leaders, see the positives that have come from it, see the resilience that we have shown to ensure that we can look forward to 2021 with optimism for ourselves and our teams. Beau used the phrase a few times that ‘Leadership is simple, but not easy’ and showed that by taking the time to reflect we can make that path clearer, giving our teams more confidence and certainty.

1. As leaders of teams, it is essential that we create environments of trust, so that we can have open, honest, and accountable conversations, where we are able to understand the people, whilst keeping the conversations professional. By doing that we are to get commitment from people, rather than telling people what to do.
2. Do we know what our strengths and weaknesses are as a leader? Self-Awareness is a noun that means conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires. Often, we forget to review our won strengths and weaknesses, and interestingly often when our frustrations manifest, they are linked to our weaknesses.
3. Our ability to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses and getting to understand those of our team can create opportunities for building higher functioning teams. Through admitting our weaknesses, we can show our vulnerability and humility, and to leverage of others in our team. This in turns get the best out of our team and shows the importance of us working together to achieve our aims.
4. Speaking about our weaknesses shows security in who we are, and in turn that transfers to our teams, showing them, they can be open and honest, leading to proactive, collaborative teams who are comfortable asking for help.
5. It is important to strike the right balance between leading and managing, where leading is being out in front and leading by our actions, and managing is where we are looking after our team. We need to ensure we don’t get so far out in front that you forget to come back and check on your team, and as a manager we need to make sure we don’t lose focus on where the team should be going. It’s a fine balance!
6. Taking the time to reflect, particularly in a year like 2020, is important for ensuring future performance. Did we remain in the right frame of mind? Were we too hard on ourselves? Did we doubt ourselves too much? Were we lonely? What did we do well? There is a real chance to learn from 2020, and to use it as an opportunity to make ourselves better leaders.
7. From that we can then look forward, and in doing so it is important that we are realistic, positive, and optimistic. We need to think about what we can control, and think with gratitude about what we have got, rather than what we have not got. We want to ensure that we are excited about the future, and in doing that our enthusiasm will manifest itself in our teams.
8. Now is a great time to think about why we do what we do. Why do we go to work? Have we been working to live, or living to work? Have we got the balance right, so that we are energised both in our personal lives and our professional lives? If we can reenergise ourselves, recharge us, then we will invest more in our people, we can support them more and will create engaged and motivated teams.
9. In focusing on what we can control, we need to focus on actions and outputs with our teams, the process, rather than the result. It is the process that we have control over, so it is important that we step back and assess what it is that we need to do. What are the key actions or outputs that we need to focus on?
10. The 6 Cs are key to the success of our teams or our businesses moving forward. Clarity, what is our purpose and can we articulate it. That will breed confidence, and if we are then able to Communicate our plan, or road map, then that in turn gives our team Certainty. That Certainty then allows our teams to have a sense of Conviction as they work toward the mission, and that in turn leads to them being Committed to the team, the purpose, and the process.

It is important that as leaders we do not think that leadership is a magic potion, or a silver bullet, but rather a series of little things done well, with consistent discipline, and that is why it is simple but not easy. Whether you are a leader, or not, the biggest takeaway for me has been to make the time to reflect, to think about where we are going, how we are getting there and why. The more comfortable I am in me, the more effective I will be in developing relationships in my team, and with stronger relationships we can develop more capability. 

All of that will hopefully lead to a positive and uplifting 2021, where we take the lessons of 2020 to create environments that are positive and optimistic. Before that though have a happy and safe festive season, I think we’ve all earned it.