What does leadership mean to you?

For me, being a leader isn’t about the title, the authority, the power or the status. It’s about people and relationships. It’s about kindness and compassion. It’s about modelling the culture you want to create.

I was a leader by virtue of my roles within Children’s Services for a number of years and over the years I learned that:

• In order to support others to keep showing up and striving to do their best, I needed to lead with humility, empathy and care.
• I couldn’t expect colleagues to have the courage to be vulnerable and create brave spaces if I didn’t show the courage and vulnerability myself.
• I couldn’t expect colleagues to value growth and learning unless I myself used opportunities to show them that we can all learn from each other and learn from situations that didn’t go to plan.
• You can be clear about what is needed whilst still being kind.
• Saying you care isn’t enough, you need to show it.

As a leader, your actions often speak louder than your words. Many leaders profess to care about their staff, to value their teams, to want to empower others around them, but when they neglect to congratulate an individual or team on a success or when they take all the credit themselves for something their team did, it shows the exact opposite.

It’s easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of the day and respond with irritation or a cold shoulder when someone asks for 5 minutes. I’ve been there, both on the receiving end, but also as the one who felt the irritation. And of course, we need boundaries otherwise we will forever be interrupted and never get anything done. However, there are moments when you can sense that someone needs your attention.

Several years ago, one of my staff sent me a message that started with… “Becky I remember you telling us it’s ok to feel vulnerable”. I had a choice in that moment….continue to work on a report which had the deadline looming and I was feeling under immense pressure, or, give this colleague the time she needed. I put aside the things I was doing and invited her for a cuppa to talk about it. It was a pleasant and important reminder about the ripple effect of our actions and our words.

Leading with care and connection is important for a high-performing and thriving service.

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