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Leaders are perceived for what they do
Not what they say they do… Time to become a radiant Exemplar
“Well-being is realized by small steps, but is truly no small thing.” — Zeno
Well-being for yourself and your teams/employees doesn’t happen overnight. It is not because we decide to have an excellent work-life balance one day or that we state “joy at work” in our organization’s mission statement that Voila, job done.
It takes time, and actual well-being comes from the iteration of a long-term process — every day, bit by bit, action by action, and step by step.
What Zeno is saying above (although historians say that maybe he was quoting Socrates there, but really, who cares?) is that people (including you, dear leader friend) are not good because they say that they are or because they have the skills to convince you that they are. People see what you do every day, and that compounds to how they see you, and of course, to who you really are.
Do you want to be perceived as a courageous leader? Then, act consistently with courage (and dignity) in the face of adversity. Do you want to be perceived as a compassionate leader? Then, lead with compassion every single day. Do you want to be perceived as a wise leader? Act with wisdom every single day. Take the time to think, take the time to listen, and (if needed) take the time to respond. So here it is: who do you want to be as a leader? Then act like it for yourself and others. Every. Single. Day.
Originally posted on https://www.thetaoofleadership.com
