Deliberate Leadership

Imagine working for a Leader who cared about you as a unique individual. Who ensured you knew very clearly why what you did mattered and worked tirelessly to help you succeed. Who asked for, listened and acted upon your opinions and ideas. Who gave you the right balance of freedom and guidance to experiment with improvements and learn from failure. Who was fast to thank you and supportive to learn from mistakes. Imagine this same boss cared so much about your ambitions that they worked with you on development opportunities even outside of the scope of your current work. How would that feel? What would that do for your motivation and engagement?

Keith Brymer-Jones is a British potter and ceramic designer, known for his homeware Word Range with retro lettering and punk motifs. In 2015, he debuted as an expert judge alongside Kate Malone on BBC2’s The Great Pottery Throw Down. He is emotionally invested in his craft and his students, offering support, constructive criticism and his tears to their journey.

This is the thinking that underpins deliberate leadership. It’s deliberate because this kind of Leader does not happen by accident, it’s not a genetic mutation, it takes deliberate curiosity, humility and kindness.

If this is not the kind of Leader you want to be, then this content is not for you. Go do you (but at least try to do a better version of you, the people you lead deserve it).

If you do like the sound of deliberate leadership, then the good news is it’s not difficult. But, you will have to keep a lid on your massive helium ballooned ego, making your role about the people you lead rather than yourself. Focus on how can you help them. More good news, as they succeed… so will you.

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Next: Sure, whatever but just what is Leadership?