“Strong people do not put others down. They lift them up. (Michael P. Watson)
Yeah Right, you may think. I ́ve heard this a thousand times before. If you have – great! And congratulations, you have probably learned your leadership lessons. Then you probably already know that internalizing something requires, on average, seven times of iteration. When it comes to human interaction, relationships, and leadership – it is a journey of continuous learning and development. Therefore, however (in)experienced we are, we should always focus on remaining students, open to learning from other people, and most importantly, respecting every individual regardless of their age, gender, background, appearance, and other external attributes.
Managers manage, but leaders lead. The differences are clear, and you cannot be both. Therefore, decide to be a leader. Why? The list of reasons is endless. Empowering leadership is comprehensive in the sense that it actually begins with the ability of being, and acting, as your true self. Empowering leadership is about being authentic and not about putting a smile on your face, and it is also about lifting people up rather than putting them down. We are all stressed, tired, and in challenging situations every now and then, but we can choose to learn how to cut down our personal levels of emotional imbalances to act neutral towards other individuals instead of trying to control the behavior and actions of others.
“The individual who controls others may be powerful, but the individual who has mastered himself is mightier still.” (Lao Tzu)
Empowering and strong leaders always seek to remain humble, appreciative, servant, and respectful towards other people. For certain individuals, these are characteristics that come more naturally, while others have to learn and practice, often their whole lives. Especially difficult can these be at times when we feel that our ego is attacked by the behavior of someone else. However difficult it can be to act lovingly, try to find the peace within yourself and keep in mind that someone else ́s negative behavior is not your fault. People who behave poorly are usually miserable themselves, for one reason or another. If you can, try to help them. If not possible, choose to leave them alone, and walk away. The world is full of people with humble hearts, intelligent minds, and who are capable of appreciative relationships, be it in private or business, or both.
Anne-Maria Yritys 