Happy Spring and Happy April! Welcome to the SBR Leadership Corner where I will share leadership tid bits with you from time to time to assist you in reflecting on your current leadership skills and improving in new ways. Enjoy!
Did you know that someone is always watching you and following your lead? It is something you likely do not think about but just take a moment and consider the people in your household, people in your extended family, people in the workplace (in-person or virtual), your neighbors, people at the stores you frequent, your social media presence, and more. You are exposed to different people in many ways throughout your daily functioning and those around you are taking notice. They notice how you carry yourself, your energy and aura, your tone of voice, your smile or lack thereof (you know when someone is smiling even in a mask by looking at their eyes), and your personality.
The conscious and subconscious things about yourself that you share with others shape what they expect from you and inadvertently, what they take and repeat from you. I recognize when a group of people have been spending a lot of time together because I will notice they all use the same lingo, their tone of voice starts to sound the same, and their mannerisms are similar as well. Birds of a feather, right? This is also the impact of your leadership attributes being mirrored by others around you for the good or for the bad. We find people that we like and admire and before we know it, we have begun to emulate them. This is the power of leadership because you can mock good or bad attributes. Therefore, it is important that we are aware that we are being watched. What parts of yourself do you feel comfortable with your kids, neighbors, colleagues, or society emulating? You want to share your best self with others which will require being mindful of your presence and what you bring to and share with those around you. You want those who are watching to expose and emulate the best of you.
~Dr. Sabrina B. Ricks