“As a leader, in order to move forwards, sometimes you’ll need to turn the sword inwards.”
~ Jim Sebastian Sharman

I’ve believed for many years that attitude is a reflection of leadership. The team you lead is a reflection of you as their leader. Yes, there might be many personality types and behaviours mixed in, but you are the leader – and your personality is reflected by their responses.

It stands to reason then that, if your experience of those you lead is that they are demotivated, expressing negativity or resistance, or no longer seem as committed as they used to be, it might be time, instead of attacking or blaming them, to examine yourself and how you are acting.

In this context, turning the sword inward means taking a good, long, hard look into yourself and recognising that the sharp edge of your tongue, the critical voice that you might be directed outward, needs instead to address your own attitudes, behaviours, thoughts, or emotions.

Often, the thing that most needs to change in your team is something within yourself. Identifying this is crucial (or at least making the effort to see this is indeed the case) before you can direct others to move forward.

There’s a lot to be said about what makes a great, inspirational leader; phrases like, “lead from the front”, “never ask your team to do something you are not prepared to do yourself”, “walk your talk”, or that all-time favourite, “the buck stops here!”

Yet, all of them depend on one thing – accountability.

What is it about your own approach to, behaviour with, or treatment of them that needs to change? Has something shifted within you that is producing different results than before? Are you fully conscious of your own impact in meetings, one-on-ones, presentations, etc.?

And it might not just be an internal communication thing happening here – have you said or done anything outside of the team that has reflected something within you back into it? Maybe an article on LinkedIn, or a journalist interview, which has sparked a reaction in the team.

There is always the opportunity – and, indeed, the responsibility – to be the one owning up to a shortfall in standards, to be the example they need to follow in order to move forward together, and to be the one that elevates the level of positivity, motivation, and inspiration.

This takes courage. It also takes humility.

We’ve probably all seen just as many examples of poor leadership as we’ve seen positive examples (perhaps amongst some of our politicians or business people). What would you say is the key ingredient of being that great, inspirational leader? It surely takes more than a cliché!

Try this for size: the greatest leaders share one key attribute: compassion for, and empathy with, the people whom they are leading. This results in those leaders being trusted, not simply for being leaders, but because their actions have earned them that deeper trust.

This usually results in people being prepared to do more than that which is requested of them – precisely because the connection is there and there’s a mutual feeling of support in place. Just be sure to let those people know you see and appreciate this. Then reward it.

When leaders themselves go beyond what’s expected of them, followers see the example that’s been set and then tend to do the same. When followers go beyond what’s expected of them, leaders respond with greater levels of incentive and reward.

It’s the opposite of carrot and stick, you might say. It creates a positive feedback loop.

If you are a leader, consider what you can do for your teams, not what you can bark at them or order them to do. Buy-in is more easily generated through visible acts of sincerity. Crucially, such acts need consistent follow-through of commitments.

If you’re working with a leader who does this, be sure to deliver on your commitments, too, because trust is a two-way street. Let them see that you know and appreciate it. The reward that a leader seeks is usually loyalty and continued commitment. A true leader knows the difference between demanding that and earning it – two very different creatures – which is where awareness comes back into play.

By turning the sword inward, you seize an opportunity. You can then shift from an attitude of, “Do as I say, not as I do!” to one that is true leadership from the front, one that instead says, “Follow me! We’re going places together!”

To instil that belief in those whom you lead is much more likely to result in the progress you seek. It also has the added benefit of contributing to your own self-development. What true leader doesn’t want to grow? In fact, the best leaders should look to train their own replacement.

Leadership doesn’t stop when you get that job title – it starts – and it always needs nurturing, which is one way in which you can achieve sustained mutual growth.

If you’re a leader reading this, take a moment to reflect on what you might change in your environment that helps you and your team to move forward.

What examples will demonstrate consistently, more than any motivational speech, or group hug, or free merch, that you trust and respect them? What will it take to show them that you, when they need you, will stand up for and protect them, even if it’s from yourself?

Will you dare to look inward?