It’s a well-worn saying but when it comes to leadership, it definitely rings true.

You may hold the position of top dog but to truly earn that magic key to success, you need to leave your ego at the door and accept that it’s not always about what you want or need from your employees, but rather what they need from you.

Recognising the grey

It’s ever apparent these days that a positive culture is the glue that’s holds your team together. It motivates, inspires, bonds and produces long-term success and a happy, dedicated workforce.

But what if, despite knowing all the above, things are just not right. There is an ever-growing toxic cloud snaking its way around the office that isn’t clearing no matter how many windows you open or Friday lunches you provide.

Weeds may be starting to grow throughout your business landscape - grey areas as we like to call them or issues that need to be investigated and firmly tackled to restore calm to your perfectly balanced ecosystem.

Stepping up

It’s understandably difficult for leaders to keep everything in tip-top shape all the time, as is true in every element of life. There are always peaks and troughs to tackle but the more people you have on-side and supporting you on that rollercoaster, the easier it will be to enjoy the ride.

Leadership is about being brave. That is why, in a tough situation, you’ve just got to stand up and take ownership. Acknowledge when things are rough and when work needs to be done. There will undoubtedly be brutal truths that you need to hear. Asking your team for anonymous feedback will help you gain a true measure of problems from an employee perspective.

Most important of all, once you have digested that feedback and pieced together any common themes, is ACTING on it. This is the time to be pragmatic and walk the talk, otherwise your leadership abilities will be questioned, and your team will start defecting. After all, if you don’t have their back, why should they have yours?  

Transparency & communication

In the right culture, people will roll their sleeves up and help in times of hardship but only if they feel respected, appreciated, and genuinely believe they are part of something. And while overcoming a challenge can indeed be a team effort, that will only be the case if the challenge is clear in the first place.

That is why you need to be open and honest about the issues being faced and be clear on the actions needed to remedy the situation. As leader, you may not be the only one who needs to hear and accept some brutal truths. You may also need to have some tough conversations with others. Not everyone may like what they hear but ‘you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs’ and the longer you leave it, the bigger the problem will grow. It is, however, always best to deliver such truths with kindness, empathy and understanding of a person’s individual experience. And if the very idea of this fills you with dread, external help could prove useful to help facilitate any difficult discussions.  

It’s also good to remember that the more willing you and your team are to both sharing and accepting tough truths, the more resilient and successful your business will become.

So, what other actions can you take to make a positive difference?

- Lose the blame culture

- Foster an environment where owning your mistakes and learning from them is the norm (you included!)

- Encourage autonomy where everyone is accountable for actions/decisions and wins are acknowledged and celebrated

- Value questioning as a means to improvement

- Seek transparency at all turns – holding onto assumptions and denials about the extent of a problem could mean you end up in crisis mode  

- Reject complacency – even when times are good, never stick your head in the sand and ignore the danger signs of what may lie ahead

In summary

Running a business is not always a bed of roses. Let’s face it, being a leader is tough. If it wasn’t, everyone would be doing it!

Make sure you enlist the help of someone impartial to support you through challenging times and give yourself the space you need to think, unwind and show up as the best version of yourself. This is how you will lead from the top and build the best company with the best team around you.  

And while the truth may at times hurt, the pain of ignoring it can be far worse. As seventeenth-century philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, wrote forebodingly: ‘Hell is truth seen too late’. No matter what type or size your organisation is, you may be unwittingly harbouring a harsh reality that needs to be outed and dealt with to avoid bigger repercussions. Therein lies the path to prosperity!