Emerging leaders’ instincts are often to demonstrate care for their teams by protecting them from organizational complexity, shifting strategies, and changes in directions.
That can look like:
Absorbing pressure instead of delegating.
Smoothing over conflicts.
Avoiding communication around evolving expectations.
Not sharing cross-functional feedback or feedback from levels above.
Why doesn’t ‘protection’ work? Because it is not sustainable. Eventually, the pressure leaks through, you burn out, or your team can’t deliver what they said they would.
You can care deeply about the people on your team and still:
Share the real feedback
Explain tough decisions
Let them experience, and learn from organizational messiness
Next time you feel yourself lean towards protecting your team, ask:
What am I trying to prevent?
Who am I really ‘protecting’ here, is it me?
What might it look like to lead through these challenges instead of around them?
Shielding your team from complexity limits their ability to build capacity.
Are you ready to level up your leadership? Let’s connect about how coaching can benefit you and your organization. Email me at julie@coreyjamison.com.
Let’s connect.
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Julie Bush specializes in working with leaders and teams to develop ways of working that improve team alignment, cohesion and results. She is a sought after coach of leaders across many levels of experience, and over a wide range of industries. Specializing in the opportunities and challenges facing emerging leaders, Julie helps people navigate the world of work, plan a career path, and integrate the aspects of a robust and rewarding personal and work life. Julie has worked with leaders and teams in organizations that range in size from Fortune 100 to start-ups.