Coming Up in September 👀: Earning Respect

Plus, Tips and Tricks for Your Current Change Leadership Challenge

Image from 16personalities.com

Coming Up Next Month: Earning Respect as a Leader

Respect for your authority as a leader and genuine respect for you as a human being are two very different things. How can you build both? And – most importantly – how can you become the type of leader that you yourself respect? We’re answering those questions and more next month. We’ll also provide tailored tips on earning respect from team members of each personality type.

Stay tuned for a new Earning Respect Challenge coming September 3!

Change Leadership Challenge Check-In

Have you been following along with the Change Leadership Challenge? In that article, we went through the key pillars of effective change leadership and provided a 30-day challenge to help you put all of those principles into practice. (Go ahead and give it a reread if you need a refresher.) 

But leading through change is hard. 

So hard, in fact, that my boss at a previous job told me that it was the hardest thing he’d ever done. (And by that point in his career, he had seen and done a lot of hard stuff.)

If you’re currently trying to guide your team through uncertainty and you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or a bit like an impostor, know that those feelings are completely normal. 

Here are three suggestions to help you get into the right mindset to lead through change successfully:

1. Embrace Vulnerability and Authenticity

If you feel overwhelmed and anxious, chances are your team does, too, so don’t try to hide what you’re going through. As much as you are comfortable doing so, share these feelings with your team in a way that shows that you are human and relatable. This vulnerability builds trust and can foster a supportive environment where your team feels comfortable sharing their own concerns. Authenticity in leadership creates a culture of openness, where everyone feels heard and valued.

2. Cultivate a Growth Mindset

Encourage your team (and yourself) to view change as an opportunity for growth rather than as a threat. Emphasize the potential for learning and development that comes with navigating uncertainty. You can even reflect on past challenges your team has overcome and recognize the strengths and skills that helped you all succeed. By focusing on growth, you shift the narrative from fear of the unknown to excitement about new possibilities.

3. Practice Self-Compassion 

Above all, remember to be kind to yourself during this time. Recognize that it’s okay to have moments of doubt and that being a leader doesn’t mean having all the answers. Techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or even taking a few moments to ground yourself can help you maintain clarity and calmness. Leading with a clear and composed mind allows you to respond to challenges more effectively and set a positive example for your team.

If you’re feeling alone, remember that you can connect with other leaders on this journey in this month’s discussion thread. 👇

Your Next Steps

Throughout the rest of this month, we’ll keep exploring change leadership for the remaining personality types that have yet to be covered. Stay tuned for those articles to land in your inbox. 

Whether you’re navigating workplace changes now or preparing for future shifts, we hope this article (and all of our change leadership resources) have provided you with a sense of readiness and stability during times of uncertainty. Go forth and lead on.

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Want to Submit a Leadership Topic?

Have a specific leadership topic in mind that you’d love to see us cover? We’ve opened up commenting, so that anyone can share their idea(s) in the comments. We can’t promise to pick yours, but we do promise to review and consider every single idea.

We have it on good authority that one of our future topics was submitted by a user in the comments just like this. 😉 (Thanks goes to Paula for the topic suggestion!) We’re busy collecting new data to bring you the best insights, but stay tuned for this topic deep dive in the coming months.