Hello everyone,
In my last newsletter, I shared my thinking about the leaders around us who are doing amazing jobs: the people to recognize and breathe a sigh of relief in as we see them, listen to them, read about them.
They are the ones wearing Leader Hosen—embracing leadership and publicly and sanely guiding their teams.
If you missed that newsletter and you’re now thinking, “Whew, Leila is probably losing it because she’s been in her house too long with her children,” first, you might be right, and second, you can read that piece here.
And, now, on to a new list of Leader-Hosen wearing, ahhh, leaders (and a new free learning series that starts May 5).
Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand. Her leadership methods include using varied forms of communication (such as Facebook chats), showing she is approachable (by showing, literally, that she wears old sweatshirts; I had no idea I was rocking the PM style, too), and being decisive without being divisive. It’s not all about approval ratings, but hers range in the 80th percentile. That’s like an A+++.
Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio’s superhero in a lab coat: the director of health for the Ohio Department of Health. Calm, cool, and collected during press hearings, she has the Governor, Mike DeWine, and others listening. They should be. Believe in science.
Mike DeWine, Governor of Ohio. In mid-March, he saw photos posted online of people up close and personal, in bars. He shut that down. Dang, I would love to have a cocktail with friends right now. Not. Worth. It. DeWine emphasizes that behavior is what makes the difference: “It’s not about the orders we issue; it’s about what each and every one of you does and doesn’t do.”
Silveria Jacobs, Prime Minister of Sint Maarten. The numbers of people “reporting” to you don’t matter much these days, as the impact a small group can make is huge. With a population of 41,000 or so, Sint Maarten’s leader is making waves (ugh, sorry) because her language is to the point and descriptive: “Simply. Stop. Moving.” I wish she didn’t need to tell people what to do if they don’t have bread at home (“eat crackers”), but I love it. Just. Start. Listening.
Health care professionals standing in front of cars of people who want haircuts. So, in addition to exposing themselves to a new, unpredictable virus, wearing inadequate protective gear, being paid less than their worth, working insane hours, separating themselves from their families, and watching their coworkers die, they now need to physically try to convince angry people complaining about haircuts and such. I realize I might be sharing less than a subjective point of view here. Hmm. Oh, well. Not apologizing. I want a haircut, a pedicure, and to get on a plane (really). I want to go get a cup of expensive coffee and some (equally) expensive sushi a few hours later. All that can wait. I can wait.
Your neighbors. The ones holed up with kids and spouses. When outside, they are keeping 6 feet away from others. They are wearing masks. They are following rules in grocery stores. They are trying to keep themselves employed. They are wearing Leader Hosen, too.
These are some of the strong, brave, bold, and AWESOME leaders out there.
Repeating the call to all of you: who’s on your list? Who is wearing the Leader Hosen in your community? Tell me who those people are.
In case you’re curious about when you can wear that pair of Lederhosen you ordered, you can rock it any and every day now. Especially since this year’s Oktoberfest in Munich has been cancelled. Why? 6.3 million people gathered there in 2019. So, as important as $1.1 billion dollars is to the economy of Munich and Germany, you just can’t have that many people getting together (and getting drunk–well, some of them getting drunk).
And now for something completely different.
People Leaders of all shapes and sizes, HR folks, too . . . on Tuesday April 28 at 1 pm PDT/4 pm EST I’m hosting a Society for Human Resources (SHRM) webinar titled, “Fear of Feedback: How to Conquer It When Face-to-Face Isn’t Feasible.“
SHRM opened it up to everyone, so you don’t have to be an HR geek to attend. You can be a regular geek and attend. So, like, no peer pressure, but all the geeks will be there. It’s free (and fun).
And if you can’t make it, no sweat, as I will be hosting it again on May 5 when I kick off a 3-part learning series for People/HR leaders who need help coaching their clients now. Check it out and sign up on the new People Leader Resources page on Awesome Leader.
Let me know your questions and thoughts—and the leaders around you wearing Leader Hosen,
Leila
(in a house with two teenagers, a husband, and a Corgi, and drinking too much coffee)
