23 July 2018
Hands up who is happy with their boss! Most of the time, we find it hard to fathom how that person managed to land the role they’re in. Can we replace them? Would we be good leaders? The American author Peter Bregman wrote a new recipe for being a great leader. In fact, it’s a good way for us to sense check ourselves to see if we have what it takes to become a leader. We can ask ourselves three simple questions, all centred around the letter C.
Do you trust yourself? We’re not talking about ambition and presumption, but rather something much more subtle: the ability to be able to Care for ourselves. It’s impossible to be confident when we constantly need the approval of others. We can solidify our position when we’re kind and tolerant with ourselves, especially when nobody else is validating what we’re doing.
Are you a confident leader that knows how to care for yourself when you need to?
Do people sense your trust, even when you don’t agree with each other? It’s about being open to others, encouraging others to be themselves, even when they do things differently to us. Good leaders cultivate a Curiosity that keeps their ears and eyes open, stopping them from rushing to conclusions about others.
Are you a leader that knows how to be curious about others?
Can you take risks? A good leader is a person who takes risks, on the basis of their trust and openness with others.
Taking risks means going beyond your comfort zone. It means allowing yourself to become vulnerable indefinitely. Courage is an emotional dimension. It’s about being open to discomfort to explore new paths.
Are you a courageous leader, not because of your strength, but because of your willingness to be vulnerable?
If you answered yes to all these questions, you deserve to know that behind those words – Care, Curiosity and Courage – the root is the same: they all come from the word “cor”, which in Sanskrit means “heart”. Yes, Care, Curiosity and Courage are all talents of the hearth. To be a good leader, you need to follow your heart.
