Catch the Good Leadership.
Not the Bad.
I’ll start this email by saying that it has nothing to do with masks and vaccines.
Yet Covid and Leadership have some things in common, and the Omicron variant has made the connections stronger.
Can you stick with me here? Again, this has nothing to do with masking up and getting a shot. Please keep reading to “catch” the good parts of this message. (Groan, I know. And you do need to “get” leadership.)
I think leadership is similar to Covid: it’s contagious.
There’s good leadership and bad leadership, and both are contagious. And all the shades of leadership in between? They’re contagious, too.
By now, we all know that Omicron is very contagious. You can be vaccinated (2, 3, or 4 doses) and still catch it. You can be wearing a mask—and still catch it.
And with this variant, you can have Covid yet be asymptomatic. You might be carrying those nasty germs and spreading them around and be clueless. You might be the one giving people something bad—and not know it.
Are you starting to see even more parallels between Covid and Leadership?
Leadership is contagious.
You might have the good or bad version of it, and either way, you’re spreading it around.
I’m grossly simplifying all the variations (variants?!) of leadership.
It’s not as simple as good or bad, and it’s not binary, and it’s not clear-cut.
But you hope that good leadership is contagious.
You hope that your great leaders expose their style and methods to others. And others “get” it and nurture and grow it. That they catch it!
But we know it doesn’t work that way. It can, but it’s not consistent, and it takes hard work (worth it, of course).
I’m sure you’ve experienced what happens bad leadership grows: when it’s left alone.
It spreads—fast.
What’s the solution to helping great leadership be the contagious one?
Here are a few ideas:
- Start by being intentional. Define bad leadership, good leadership, great leadership, and so forth.
- Tell leaders what the expectations are. Is the expectation that every leader has a certain immunity to bad leadership? (I know, I know. I’m pushing the analogy here.)
- Hold people accountable, so lousy leadership isn’t contagious.
I’m going to help you with #3, as the title for February’s workshop is . . . “Managers Behaving Badly: Stop It Now.”
This is one of my favorite topics, and it’s no coincidence that it happens in February, close to Valentine’s Day.
No joke: I love this topic!
Please join me for a great discussion. Details are HERE.
You’ll receive a workbook in advance of the event, so you’ll be prepared to learn a lot. To “get” all the good stuff!
Register now and invite your colleagues.
By the way, have you noticed that quitting is also contagious. Great New York Times article on how when someone quits, others start thinking,”Hmm, maybe I should quit, too.”
Open Enrollment for Awesome Manager: Q2
Last year, many of you asked if I would open up the Awesome Manager program to open enrollment. Could just 1 or 2 people sign up—and join a group of 25 peers from companies around the world?
Numerous people have raised their hands and said, “I have 3 leaders. Can they participate? Please!”
Well, here goes: in Q2, I’m opening the doors to open enrollment registration for the Awesome Manager program. And I’d love to hear from those of you who want to participate.
Full details will be ready in a few weeks. If you want to be the first to know when that information is available at AwesomeLeader.com, send us an email.
Workshop Replay & Transcript Available Through February 1
Finally, the replay for last week’s workshop on EQ (emotional intelligence) and goal setting is posted. Please check it out.
I’m trying something new with the replay: sharing the transcript and a list of the “highlights” from the discussion. You’ll see that on the replay page.
I thought I’d feel torn about making it so easy for people to watch only what they want in the replay.
But I don’t because saving you time and getting you what you need is part of the Awesome Leader pledge in our programs: the lessons are 15 minutes or less.
So, check it out and watch only the pieces you want or download the transcript.
OK, time to register for February’s workshop. Again, it’s February 17, and it’s all about what you don’t want your team to catch: bad management!
Lead with ease and talk to you next week,
Leila
PS You might have noticed I’ve renamed the monthly webinar a “workshop.” I share great, actionable content, and you all participate. “Workshop” better describes what we’re doing together.
PPS I don’t want to downplay Covid, and I hope you’ll take this message as one of leadership. Not one that rubs salt into some deep wounds many of us have developed due to this pandemic. Try to stay healthy. Be cool to each other. Over and out from the California native.
