In addition to organizational conditions for sustainable leadership, there are several ways you can develop in your role as a manager and leader. We share five abilities to become more resilient in your leadership.
Today's work life is characterized by a high pace with increasing demands for efficiency, profitability, and results. Earlier this year, we released the report "How is the boss doing? – a survey of Sweden's managers' well-being." Among other things, we see that 36 percent of managers report stress at a level that can pose health risks.
Milou Häggå is an organizational consultant and belongs to Falck's specialist team that works with organization and leadership development. She shares five skills to develop in your leadership and become more resilient in a work life that demands a lot from you as a manager.
Self-authoring – dealing with complex situations
Self-authoring is about practicing how to handle different situations, regardless of complexity. To be able to do that, an important part is to think about what your inner compass is, that is, what do you think is important in life and at work. What are your values and what values does the organization you work for have? Are your values connected to your behaviors?
If you practice your presence and have contact with the inner compass, you will become more grounded in your values. This makes it easier to sort and prioritize. It is also very central in stress management and change management.
Train the ability by: – Think about what is important to you, what motivates you. – Be grounded in your and the organization's values. – Formulate yourself based on your inner compass and the organization's values.
Openness and curiosity – practice listening and understanding
In a world where things happen quickly, it's important to be aware of how our brain interprets different situations. Sometimes we react impulsively, which can lead to less desirable behaviors. It is important to listen both inwardly and outwardly, even when others react strongly. By approaching situations with curiosity, we can better understand resistance and quick interpretations. Practicing pausing and reflecting helps us to act more consciously and voluntarily. By asking open-ended questions, we can gain more insight into what others are trying to express.
As a leader, it is also important to reflect on your own reactions and approach situations based on the leadership you want to exercise. This requires training to distinguish between impulsive and volitional behaviors.
Train the ability by: – Listen actively and take in new information without judgment. – Show curiosity about your own and others' reactions. – Give things a chance.
Actively seeking different perspectives is an important part of leadership.
Compassion – create psychological safety
Many can show great compassion towards others but are hard on themselves when they make mistakes. Reflect on your inner voice and be more understanding towards yourself. By identifying patterns in your mistakes and reflecting on your thoughts and feelings, you can create learning and improvement.
Compassion can be linked to psychological safety, where managers are encouraged to lead in a non-prestigious way. By acknowledging your own mistakes and apologizing, you can create an environment where others dare to be open and honest. Psychological safety is about building trust and creating a culture where learning and improvement are central.
Train the ability by: – Observe your inner voice when you are not performing at your best. – Allow both your own and others' mistakes. – Turn mistakes into learning opportunities. – Create space for conversation and learning.
Perspective-seeking – dare to seek out dissenters
Actively seeking different perspectives is an important part of leadership. It's not just about understanding that there are different viewpoints, but about consciously seeking them. Often, we seek confirmation from those who agree with us, but as a manager, it's important to leave your comfort zone and listen to those with different opinions. By doing this, you can make better decisions because you have considered different viewpoints and not avoided what feels uncomfortable. This, in turn, leads to personal development and better communication with others.
Seeking perspectives requires courage. It's not about achieving consensus, but about gathering as much information as possible to base your decisions on.
Train the ability by: – Gather feedback from outside your own circles. – Listen to those who disagree with you and explore what insights they have.
Meaning-making – have clear purposes and goals
As a manager, it's important to be able to answer "why" questions in a professional manner. The small changes and interim goals must be linked to the long-term goals to create motivation and job satisfaction. This means both reflecting inwardly and communicating outwardly about why the work is important, what you want to achieve, and what vision and story exist around the workplace and leadership.
Meaning-making is linked to self-authoring, which makes it easier to prioritize and feel grounded in your values and goals. If there is a gap between your personal values and the organization's goals, it may be a signal to consider change. Being aware of this gives strength and courage.
Train the ability by: – Create a narrative with purpose, goals, and vision. – Concretize why the organization exists and what you want as a manager. – Practice receiving and answering "why" questions. – Turn previous negative experiences into meaningful and educational ones.
