The shadow we cast
A leadership model that's actually really helpful
Many, many years ago, I had a manager. Let’s call her Liz.
Working for Liz was confusing. On one hand, she told me that my development mattered to her. She said that she cared about supporting me in my role. But she kept cancelling our one-to-ones.
She said that the most important thing was that everyone in the team was happy, but at every team meeting we focused on sales figures.
She said that she was focused on doing a great job where she was, but she spent a lot of time speaking at external events and posting on social media.
I liked Liz. She was fun and she was really smart. I don’t think she was dishonest - she meant what she said when she said it. But I had no idea what she stood for, and not a much of an idea what she wanted from me.
We all know that sometimes people say one thing and do another. And we all know that it undermines our trust for them. But it can be harder to articulate why this undermines leadership and stops us being effective.
As a leader, I knew what was important to me and what mattered - but I was definitely guilty of being distracted by other things that felt more urgent in the moment.
So when I came across the “Leadership Shadow” it really made me stop and think. I’m sharing it here in case it can do the same for you.
We all know that our actions should match our intentions, but this model helps set out clearly what that looks like.
It helps clarify why what you do is the strongest form of communication, and how it can undermine what you are trying to achieve.
As a leader, what you do casts a shadow over your team - it shapes the culture, how they work and what they focus on.
That shadow needs to match your priorities and values, otherwise your impact will be out of whack with your intentions.
The diagram highlights four areas to be mindful of.
Firstly, there's what you say. How do you frame issues when you talk about them? How often do you talk about particular topics? What do you emphasise in conversations? Don't make the assumption that everyone knows what you're thinking - you need to say it and repeat it.
Secondly, how do you act? What are your behaviours and how do these match up with what you say matters to you? How do you build relationships, how do you conduct yourself in meetings? What message is this sending?
Thirdly, what do you measure? If you're setting KPIs and objectives for yourself or your team, how do these relate to what you say is important? If you want to increase customer satisfaction, you need to be measuring this, not focusing on sales figures.
And finally, what do you prioritise, particularly in terms of your time? What are the regualar items in your diary that don't get moved around? What and who will you always respond to?
The answers to these questions send a strong message about what matters to you.
If there is incongruence between any of these areas, it will affect the impact you have as a leader.
You can't expect people to listen to what you say if your behaviour undermines it. You can't ask people to meet particular targets and then not prioritise the work that you need to do to help them meet them.
I'm not sure what Liz is up to now. If I was, I'd definitely send her this to have a look at.
Free webinars for hybrid leaders
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6 November : Managing change in a hybrid team
Change is a constant in today's working world. Leading through change means understanding and supporting your team, as well as communicating clearly. How does hybrid change how we do this?
How teams respond to change.
How to communicate change effectively in the hybrid world.
How to support those who are struggling with change.
13 November: Tackling conflict in a hybrid team
Managing difficult conversations is all part of leadership. But it can be harder to head off disagreements when you're not face to face. How do you deal with conflict in a hybrid team?
How we respond to conflict - and why.
How to deal with conflict when you’re working remotely.
How to defuse heated conversations on or offline.
20 November: Resilience, stress and burnout
All good leaders want to support their team, especially if they are struggling. How do you spot when someone is struggling, and what can hybrid leaders to do build resilience?
What really helps us be more resilient?
Some tools to build your own resilience.
Recognising the signs of stress and burnout (in yourself and others)
Some ways you can support your team.