Are you a middle leader? Do you feel that you are not heard in your organisation?
I have recently been working with some middle leaders, who have articulated that they don’t have the ability to make change happen in their organisation. They have struggled and failed to influence senior leaders and, consequently, don’t feel heard. At the start of their coaching, they had, to a large degree, stopped trying. They just kept their heads down and carried on with their day-to-day work.
But I explained that this is a missed opportunity. You can still develop your own leadership skills as well as making a positive impact in your workplace, even if you are struggling to be heard. Whilst it is understandable that middle leaders might feel frustrated at lacking influence, that isn’t to say that you can’t have a positive impact.
As Simon Sinek says, you can still be ‘the leader you wished you had’ to model to peers, and leaders, what great leadership can look like. Rather than giving up, you can be proactive and make positive change happen, even if it is a small way.
In this video, Sinek talks about how modelling this type of leadership will still pay dividends over time. If you keep being ‘the leader you wished you had’, your leadership behaviours and their impact will be recognised and, before long, senior leaders will celebrate your strengths and your voice will begin to matter more. So don’t give up!
If you are a middle leader and you would like to chat about your leadership development, please contact me for an initial free consultation. info@claireplattcoaching.co.uk
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