Do your leadership ambitions feel out of reach?

Think back to when you first took on a leadership role. Were you full of enthusiasm, ideas and inspiration about the leader you wanted to be? Did you have clear ideas about what behaviours you wanted to role model?

And has your reality been different?

I’m not suggesting that enthusiasm has waned. Instead, your ideal world becomes a real-world culture and environment in which you must lead. Challenges come from external influences and there is often a blurring of lines that needs to be navigated.

Let me share my own experience. I worked in complex, matrix organisations; I was responsible for 23 offices, which, in turn, were part of a 55-office law firm. I needed to lead my 23 offices and also have relationships across the whole business. This meant being culturally aware and learning to influence without authority.  As is often the case, success came down to building effective relationships.

If this is resonating, it’s likely you’ll have experienced gaps between the behaviour you want to exhibit and that which you feel compelled to display.

Some of my clients describe it as starting the day with good intentions to be the authentic leader they believe in and then continually feeling dragged into a reality which isn’t quite what they envisaged. They end up feeling as though they’re wearing a mask.

Although this can feel disheartening and make you question whether your beliefs actually work for you, you are simply experiencing the need for agility in leadership.

Closing the gap

The reality of leadership is that it requires tenacity, strong emotional intelligence and an understanding of context.

Knowing the environment in which you work is critical as you are then able to understand how you can thrive in those conditions. Ask yourself what that environment needs and whether you can (or want to) provide it; consider where your boundaries are on this and how far you are willing to compromise when it comes to behaviours, beliefs and values.

Leadership challenges often come from nowhere so I’d always advise any leader who wants to remain authentic to ensure they have a toolkit at their disposal which gives them choices as well as the strength to choose their response. To ensure you can achieve your full potential, consider using coaching or mentoring on a long-term basis to give you space and the chance to unpack decisions, course-correct and help you navigate your own blind spots.

Ask yourself who challenges you, who develops you and who holds you accountable. If you operate in a vacuum, all you're going to get is an echo.