- drnicoladepaul
Leadership is Simple, when you use a PERSON Centered Approach
Today I am showing up imperfectly.
It has been a very human week for me. This past week has highlighted my lack of attention to detail, failure to catch my mistakes, and inability to do it all.
Making mistakes (especially repeatedly) feels uncomfortable and embarrassing. But when I take a moment to step back and reflect, I recognize that I learn and grow and connect with others (and myself) the most when I let myself be human. And being human includes making mistakes.
A dear friend, Daniel Hoang, said this beautifully, “Embrace imperfection…Driving to perfection requires us to give up our humanity and become more machine-like.”
So, as I have reflected on and accepted the humanness of my mistakes from the past week, I have also taken some time to be curious about them. And my curiosity deepened into a consideration of what drives me.
I’ve realized that I tend to do it all and push myself. While this strategy has some obvious upsides, it also has some downsides that lead me to work outside of my strengths, resist asking for help, and fail to recognize when I need to replenish and restore my creativity. And these downsides leave me vulnerable to surface-level (& much deeper) failings.
We will never have the capacity to be perfect as humans (or as leaders), and that’s probably for the best. But please take a moment to acknowledge yourself and get curious when you’ve made a mistake. What do I need? Am I doing too much? Can I take time out to reconnect with my why and care for myself?
Our failures are instructive teachers. And I know that I will continue to reflect on my failures and my not-always-helpful “I can do it all” mentality to think about what I need to do differently in the coming weeks and months.
I’m headed into a week of deep restoration, Nevada hot springs exploration, and family connection, the perfect opportunity for self-reflection for me.
I wish you a very human week. Show up in your imperfection. Acknowledge your mistakes. Take a moment to reflect on what your failings teach you. And practice self-compassion.
You are perfectly human!
What’s new on Menders?
I know you’ve read all the books about what to do differently to become a better leader, but Michele Thomson is here to tell us why we already have what it takes to be the leaders our teams and healthcare systems need. Our teams need leaders who are willing to engage in the tough business of relationships to keep them safe and build trust. Leadership is that simple.
Why leadership is simpler than you think!
How Michele overcame a traumatic leadership experience to develop her model of leadership development
The simple (& powerful) ingredients of her PERSON-centered leadership model
What Michele has learned about the difference between being nice and being kind as a leader
And how cultural transformation is possible even in the bleakest cultural circumstances
My favorite quotable moment from this episode!
“I believe that as a leader I have two roles, it’s to keep people safe at work, physically and psychologically and it’s to build trust.”
(Michele Thomson, Menders, episode 29)
Learn more about Michele Thomson! Michele is a leadership coach, consultant, and founder of Curis Consulting. Michele has been a direct healthcare provider and healthcare leader who specialized in geriatric specialty care settings. She has built upon her experience as a direct care provider to create a model of leadership and employee development based on the evidence-based principles that work in patient care.