Conscious Leadership Cultivates Thriving Teams

I´m 100% sure that your family is a priority for you as a leader. Well, chances are that the families of your team members are equally important to them. Creating an environment that facilitates your team´s ability to care for, spend time with, and nurture their families is not a weakness but a major strength. Companies that penalize employees for prioritizing family, often miss this crucial point: Many individuals work with them precisely to provide a better life for their loved ones, so, supporting them and their families can lead to increased loyalty, well-being, motivation, and productivity. 

To create these strong teams, it is necessary to be a great leader to them, but a fundamental truth about leaders often gets overlooked: Exceptional leadership isn´t etched in your DNA. Your biology (genes, gender, age) does not dictate your future professional, entrepreneurial or even personal success. The real ownership for impactful leadership starts at “Consciousness” because it´s about self-awareness, understanding your responsibility and impact, and making deliberate choices that produce growth and positive change. 

I remember a time when I worked in a company in which I was a number (not a person). Since then, I´ve learned that as leaders, we don´t have to shy away from showing affection for our teams. It doesn't diminish your professionalism; in fact, it enhances it. Individuals who feel valued and appreciated experience higher levels of emotional and psychological well-being, which translates into significant improvements in their cognitive abilities, creativity, and overall performance. 

It is necessary to cultivate an environment of respect, where your team members are encouraged to develop critical thinking and empowerment. Resist the urge to be the sole source of instructions. You won´t always possess all the answers and your role isn´t to be the perpetual instruction-giver. If you foster critical thinking abilities, you will equip your team to analyze situations, propose solutions, and take initiative, creating a sense of ownership and accountability. 

It is widely acknowledged that leaders must develop their teams, but it is crucial to recognize the immense power that teams hold. In fact, a lack of support from a team can be a significant force in undermining and finally destroying any leader´s effectiveness and results. Create cohesive and engaged teams. That will amplify your vision as a leader, and they will have your back as you have theirs. 

However, I´ve observed that some leaders get confused about the act of caring for their team. In their desire to be supportive facilitators, they, sometimes, inadvertently shield team members from their responsibilities. These leaders end up burdened with operational tasks and affect their team´s growth, the development of essential skills, and erase their ownership. This is a dynamic losing formula for everyone involved, damaging both individual and collective progress. 

Going back to you as a leader, I said it is not about biology. Of course, life presents us with individual challenges, sometimes rooted in our biology. When specific health issues arise, you have a powerful tool: “Willpower.” It will help you navigate and overcome these hurdles. Prioritizing your well-being and being attentive to your health is very important because both physical and mental states significantly influence our capacity to lead effectively. 

There is no perfect job. In any job, we will have some tedious, repetitive, or demanding tasks. They are part of the deal. Sharing this burden is always a wise approach to prevent us from feeling overwhelmed and isolated. Distributing responsibilities fosters a sense of camaraderie and collective ownership, making even the less appealing tasks more manageable. 

In every aspect of life, constant communication, sincerity, and reactivity are powerful drivers to development, whether within your family or a thriving work team. Start open and honest communication to build trust and clarity, to create genuine human connections and a proactivity that will ensure that potential issues are addressed before they escalate. 

Invest in the development of your team´s capabilities or you will drown in the workload of your own team. Their lack of skills and confidence to handle tasks autonomously will lead to a bottleneck where you become the sole point of execution. 

To avoid the nightmare of drowning in tasks, you´ll need to practice true facilitation, creating a safe space for mistakes, learning, and correction. Please avoid the reaction, “Oh no, you're doing it wrong!, Let me take over.” Instead, embrace errors as learning opportunities. Guide your team through the process of identifying what went wrong, extracting lessons, and implementing corrective actions. Create in them resilience and empower them to take calculated risks and to be innovative. 

Going back to the initial point: to create a powerful team, the support and understanding of your family are invaluable on your leadership journey. Their comprehension of the demands and complexities of your work provides a crucial foundation of stability and encouragement. This realization, however, requires reciprocity. As a leader you must also strive to understand and support the needs and aspirations of your family members, just because you cannot expect what you are unwilling to give. 

If while reading  this article, you realize that the current dynamics in your environment aren't ideal, remember that it´s always worthwhile to strive for positive evolution. Encourage your team to be more ambitious (this extends beyond professional achievements). Nurture their personal growth, their family well-being, and even their happiness. A well-rounded and fulfilled team member is a more engaged and productive contributor. 

The journey toward conscious leadership never ends. Take a moment to reflect on these principles. Identify one or two areas where you can shift your approach today. Start small, be consistent, and then, witness the transformative power of leading with awareness, empathy, and a genuine commitment to the growth and well-being of those around you. The potential for positive change lies in your conscious choices. Embrace your power and make a difference.