When I took over the management of the company, the beginning was tough - working six days a week, long hours, trying to understand everything, learn, and make the right decisions. I was tense, irritable, barely tolerable. As I began to understand things a bit better, I started to think: does all communication really have to go through me, when the team can speak English anyway? Do I really have to prepare the reports of all departments myself? Is it normal, that firefighting is a daily routine?
Could all of this be done with less work, without burning out? Sometimes laziness is the best motivation for great inventions and organizational development 😋
But in order to change this situation, I needed to have a fight with myself first, I needed to do something about the stereotype that a good leader works tirelessly for the team. That they're the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave, always overwhelmed, with no time for anything else. Conforming to this stereotype somehow gave prestige, or rather self-justification, that they chose right person with me, BECAUSE LOOK HOW MUCH I work. I really do everything, I am the martyr of work, I give my life and blood for the company. FOR YOU. I was always present, tired, irritable, but present.
This also meant that I did everything tired and in stress mode, sometimes better, sometimes worse, I was impatient, and barely tolerable. It took time and a series of bad experiences at home and in the office for me to realize that I would make fewer mistakes if I were well-rested, and we would have better results. Moreover, it would be better to work with me, live with me, the mood would be better, less stress both at work and at home. And this could even increase my own and the team's performance, what would mean also the improvement of the company's performance as well.
It occurred to me that it might be enough to be a good leader for just eight hours a day, perhaps the desired results could be achieved with less effort. And this was the turning point. If we manage to accept this idea, let go of the guilt because of the less work, which I think is the hardest, and understand that rest is also part of the leader's task list and not works against it, then there is a chance to change,and we can start thinking about the hows.
What do you think about this stereotype today? How much is too much? How much does a good leader work?"
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