Berger Leadership Blog

Oct 15, 2021

Leading from Within

For those who read my blog consistently, you know that I’ve mentioned before, effective leadership incorporates empathizing and focusing on those in your organization. Self-serving leadership, on the other hand, undermines empathy and instead focuses on the much more stubborn ego.

In a recent article from Lolly Daskal, she discusses behaviors to recognize when self-serving leadership takes over your style, and ways to combat it.

- Arguing/Defensiveness: If you find yourself often arguing with others, you’re likely to come across unwilling to listen. Stop arguing and start being open to finding a middle ground.

- Absence: Don’t be unavailable and distracted when speaking to those in your organization. Become a leader who empowers, inspires, and motivates by being available and approachable.

- Boasting: Don’t take all the credit, share it with others. As Daskal says, “spotlight your people instead of yourself.”

- Bluster: If you catch yourself talking over others, interrupting, and making statements without allowing others to respond or express their own thoughts, you kill the energy of those trying to speak out. As a leader - talk less, listen more.

- Envy: Don’t be jealous of the successes of those in your organization. Great leaders celebrate, appreciate, and recognize the work and success of others.

- Self-promotion: Turn your attention to elevating those you lead, not yourself.

- Delusion: Don’t paint an unrealistic for yourself as a leader. Become self-aware, break down the false and misleading impressions you have of yourself and practice leading from reality.

We’re all human and we have our flaws. Therefore, it’s very easy to fall into these self-serving habits sometimes. By becoming entirely self-aware and leading from within, your organization will benefit by having you as a role model.

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