Lead Smart

CHAPTER 4Have more impact

In my introduction, I posed the question ‘Are you a leader who is too busy to lead?’ If the answer to this question is ‘yes’, that kind of hurts, doesn't it? Your role as a leader should be inspirational, transformational, impactful. This should be the whole point of our existence as a leader in the workplace. We should be investing most of our time, energy and focus doing things that are transformational for the team and the work the team delivers to the rest of the organisation, clients or stakeholders.

The reality of our busy workplaces is that they put pressure on us to get work done, and when resources are tight, as they often are, we as leaders feel the need to roll up our sleeves and muck in with our busy team. This is an excellent thing to do as a leader in exceptional circumstances, but when it becomes the norm, we have a problem. If this happens, we are getting dragged down below the line.

Get above the line

In their book 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman and Kaley Warner Klemp talk about the concept of leaders leading from ‘above the line’. They say that a leader is leading from above the line when they are open, curious and committed to learning, but they are leading from below the line when they are closed, defensive and committed to being right. Their argument is that, while we all work below the line sometimes, we are more effective leaders when we are above the line.

It is such a simple and elegant ...