My Leadership – Their Lives
75% of a person’s waking hours are spent on work – Getting to and from work. Thinking about work. Actually working in their job.
I heard this statistic last week and started thinking about what an awesome responsibility we have as leaders.
My leadership at work has huge implications for the lives of my people. Not just their work lives, but also their home lives.
A Leader’s Impact
Think about it. If a person spends 75% of their time focused on something that I have direct control over, I probably have a great deal of influence on what type of spouse, parent or friend they are the other 25% of the time.
A Call To Grow
Leaders: It is time to grow! If I am not investing in becoming better at leading, I am shirking my calling. Leaders impact more than sales, profits, and project completion. My influence extends well beyond the work place.
If I lead a team of 10 married employees, then I am probably affecting the lives of 10 more spouses and 20 children. What if my organization is bigger? What if I lead 100 married employees? 200 children are counting on my leadership!
The Bottom Line:
This is a short post because I shouldn’t have to say too much more. Some people will read this and move forward without thinking twice. Some people will pause, decide to read a leadership book and then never follow through.
It is my greatest desire by writing this, or any other blog that I post, that a few leaders will commit to grow. The desire to get better as a leader is truly admirable.
If a leader gets better – the lives of employees, spouses and children are all affected. As leaders, we may never know the true impact we have on all the people we lead.
Knowing that spouses and especially children are also part of my sphere of influence, should drive me to become better. I should never be satisfied with who I am as a leader.
My job is a huge responsibility because so many people are affected by my leadership. That makes leading a sacred call. It is a call that we should all take seriously.
Our role is so much bigger than our job descriptions. Just ask the people waiting at home for those we lead.
Question:
Does your work environment ever affect how you are at home?
Great post. I think something that is underappreciated by many leaders is our influence on things that aren’t necessarily directly related to the job we do improving bottom line, sales, safety, etc. When we demonstrate constant 12+ hour days, our employees will follow suit and we will have 10 divorced employees who can’t keep their mind on work because they have 10 mad ex-spouses and 20 confused children. When we don’t demonstrate that things “at home” are important by missing birthdays and anniversaries, our employees will follow suit and resentment will follow. And when our leadership demonstrates that we are all about “me” or “my career” or “my time” instead of the teamwork, we will have a group of people out for #1 that can’t work as a team.
All these things are part of True Leadership but are regularly missed by so many people in leadership positions today who think leadership is what you do rather than who you are.
“so many people in leadership positions today think leadership is what you do rather than who you are.” Perfect quote!
People follow character – who you are.