Are leaders the new superheroes?

For organisations to be future-fit, leaders are expected to inspire a range of skills including agility, dynamic problem-solving, risk management and speed! Yet on the other side of the spectrum, leaders also need to demonstrate compassion, empathy and vulnerability. This complexity is exacerbated by having to apply these diverse skills in the new hybrid workplace.

The reality is that many people are fragile and raw: most people have suffered some form of trauma over the last two years and the world is still healing. Within this vulnerable context, leaders need to be extraordinary to support people’s wellbeing while activating critical skills to ensure their organisation can succeed. Leaders are being called to integrate both head and heart, balancing the paradoxical outcome-driven and people-oriented approach to leadership. Can leaders deliver on this wide range of hard and soft skill sets or are we expecting them to be superheroes?

Forbes reported that 60 percent of leaders show indicators of burnout and Korn Ferry found only 15 percent of leaders are “able to perform and transform, uniting teams behind a common purpose with empathy and compassion”.

In my work as a coach and consultant to senior leaders, I often integrate the Lumina Spark and Lumina Emotion psychometric solutions which reveal a leader’s strengths and growth areas, and provide practical ways to build future skills. These portraits, produced both before and after the pandemic, have shown a significant increase in empathy in leaders, but a significant decrease in resilience. I’ve seen a common theme of overwhelm, exhaustion and feelings of imposter syndrome as leaders feel stretched beyond their perceived capability.

Yet, I have also been privileged to work with leaders who have exponentially stepped up as they access deep levels of resourcefulness and resilience to respond to the needs of their team, organisation and family. These leaders have learned how to show authentic compassion and empathy, but within clear boundaries, enabling a forward movement into agile, strategic thinking.

It is often about timing: these leaders are able to tap into the rhythm, navigating the flow of emotion, connection and into action. Witnessing this exceptional leadership and with the psychometric evidence to support it, I have come to believe superheroes certainly do exist. This hidden potential exists in most leaders: it’s just waiting to be ignited.

How can leaders be ignited to be resilient superheroes?

I’ve come to like the phrase “what to do” when confronted with most situations. It gets you into practical action and creates a forward-thinking mindset. So, practically what can we do to increase the resilience of leaders, so that they can lead their teams and organisations into the future?

1. There needs to be a focus on the “human being” instead of the “human doing”. We no longer need to leave our emotions at home and appear stoic and strong. Resilience is about having the courage to show vulnerability, to be real, share our ups and downs, victories and failures – recognising we are only human and will make mistakes. We can then drop judgments, allowing and celebrating humanness. Magic unfolds when feedback flows without fear, and teams welcome the highs and the lows as equal opportunities for growth.
2.  Psychological safety is the key to unlock team collaboration, engagement and commitment. We need to create a work environment that is safe and where people genuinely care about each other, connecting to each other in our shared struggles, anxieties and joy. Sometimes all it takes is a sincere “How are you doing?” and taking time to listen. We often listen to respond with solutions or comparisons, but people often yearn just to be heard and understood. We also need to be aware that after experiencing loss or trauma, asking, “How are you?” can be a painful trigger and it may be better to say, “I’m here if you want to talk.” We all need empathy and connection; we need to activate our emotional intelligence to create it.
3. Authentic empathy can be a learned skill. Leaders need to do their inner work and build deep self-awareness. The Lumina Spark and Emotion Portraits have been invaluable in helping leaders understand themselves, their levels of resourcefulness and the extent they are able to access the paradox of both head and heart leadership.
4. While leaders need to show empathy and create a culture of psychological safety, I think there needs to be a collective responsibility where everyone in the team looks out for each other. I propose a healthy pulse check that can be modelled by leaders in this order:

• SELF: take self-care – your heart, soul, mind and body
• TEAM: enquire, listen and support – show you really care
• BUSINESS: ensure strategic objectives are clear and people are held accountable
• MARKET: understand and respond with agility and dynamic problem solving

This pulse-check will keep leaders’ priorities in check and enable a fluid movement between emotional and commercial requirements. Attending on their own and then their team’s heart may appear to slow down pace, but it will pay exponential dividends.

While it may seem unrealistic to expect leaders to perfect a balanced head and heart leadership style, with support leaders can be guided to become the superheroes the world needs now. When the employees they lead feel that they matter to their organisation, to their leader and to their team, their engagement, collaboration and agility will soar. The result is organisations celebrating loyal and healthy employees who will lead a movement from survive to thrive once again!