The Leaders Persona

Recently I encountered a situation where I felt my team was being treated unfairly and made it a point to let others know that I did not appreciate it. I was criticized by other team leaders because they felt a good leader should always be bubbly and cheerful in front of their team.

While it is important that we show a good face to others, it is naive to think that one will always be able to be bubbly and perky. Leaders who portray that public image may not be reaping the results they are hoping for. Let me explain.

Leaders live stressful lives. Often a true leader is at work an average of ten hours a day. Then they must go home and deal with other issues. (We all have them) It is not realistic that a leader would be bubbly and perky all the time. I like to think that those whom I lead are smart enough to know that the 'bubbly all the time' persona is not realistic. To the contrary it can cause others to think we are fake, and it is difficult to trust someone that we think is putting on a false front.

It is also important for leaders to stand up for their team. We can tell our team we are standing up for them, but nothing is quite as effective as them seeing it for themselves. It is much easier to follow someone who you know will stand up for you and back you when you are being treated unfairly.

This is not meant to be an excuse for always being in a bad mood. Certainly a strong leader portrays a positive image most of the time. If one does, then those who follow will understand when we are having a 'bad day'. But certainly let's not make that a habit.

Now, having an argument among leaders in front of our teams is a totally different situation. As leaders we must set an example for our teams and an example of cooperation and getting along is a prime characteristic for a team to be successful.

So my conclusions are:

Being a leader doesn't mean being Miss Bubbly Perky all the time

A good caring leader must allow their team to see them standing up for their rights and what they deserve

A good leader cannot use stress and problems as an excuse to be in a bad mood all the time, but that doesn't mean a bad mood is never allowed.

My final analysis: No leader is perfect. I read an article recently at

http://www.academicleadership.org/ideas_worth_merit/A_Follower_s_View_of_Leadership.shtml

It stated, and I quote

"Leadership is mostly learned, and it is a life-long learning and teaching endeavor. We should all accept that we will never be the fully actualized leader. There will always be requirements for change, which means there will always be opportunities to learn."

Article written by Donna Loudon
Tupperware Director
Tupperware Website

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