Do You Suffer from Being Too Reactive as a Leader? (#288)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
But more often than not, that effort is spent reacting to their circumstances all the while longing for the day when they can lead intentionally.
“The best leaders are intentional about who they are and how they lead.”
— Brené Brown
This Week’s Edition
75% of leaders have never defined their leadership approach.
This leaves them winging it every day, producing “wing-it” results.
There is a more intentional way.
Clarify Your Thinking
Research shows that many leaders fall into reactive mode—responding to what feels urgent rather than what matters most.
This “winging it” risks falling into taskmaster mode and being labeled a micromanager.
For this type of unstructured leader, the day-to-day can be challenging:
- Being highly reactive
- Avoiding hard conversations
- Giving inconsistent feedback
- Having to solve problems themselves
- Reacting based on stress
- Compensating by being overly nice…
- Then being suddenly strict when things go awry
When leaders have a wing-it style, their temperament is usually the dominant factor in how their leadership is received.
- Kind leaders are a bit too permissive.
- Analytical leaders are often seen as distant.
- Driven leaders are thought of as controlling.
- People-pleasing leaders avoid conflict at all costs.
Leaders without a defined leadership style often drive home each night wondering, “What just happened today? Why can’t I get ahead of this?”
Old Thinking
I’ll just show up and do my best. My leadership style will work itself out.
New Thinking
When I define my leadership approach, I lead with confidence, consistency, and clarity.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
Confident leaders take time to reflect and ask themselves:
- How am I wired?
- When am I at my best?
- How do I enjoy leading?
These questions, when answered honestly, can lead to a new world of leading with intention:
- Leaving reactive leadership to actual professional emergencies
- Creating true alignment with their team.
- Stop wasting time by trying to be someone else
Before you Google “leadership approach” and adopt some prefab definition from someone trying to sell you their assessment, try this approach to define your leadership style:
1. Name What’s in Your DNA
What do you naturally bring to every room? Coaching? Problem-solving? Vision? Calm? Don’t minimize it. Recognize it.
2. Identify What Differentiates You
What do you do differently from your peers? This is often where your greatest value lives.
3. What Complements the First Two
What part of your personality strengthens the other two? This creates balance and depth.
I am borrowing this three-part approach from my friend, Angela, a technology professional at the top of her game. She recently shared her three things with me:
- Naturally: She is a coach—always has been.
- Differentiates: She is a change agent—unique in the technology world.
- Complements: She is a connector—ideas, people, systems, etc.
Imagine knowing this about your leader. You would experience her leadership style in the following ways. She would:
- Be committed to helping you be your best (coach)
- Challenge you to not be satisfied with the status quo (change agent)
- Ensure you had what you needed to get the job done (connector)
What is your signature leadership style? Give it a name. Say it out loud. Share it with your team. Let it guide how you show up every day. Lead with it.
Research shows that leaders who are clear and consistent in how they show up—rather than reactive or undefined—create stronger alignment and better results. Leadership effectiveness increases when leaders understand their style.
Confident leaders don’t wing it. They lead intentionally based on their unique style.
Boost Your Performance
In this week’s video, I share the importance of having a defined leadership style.
What’s Your Opinion?
If you had to describe your leadership style in three words, what would they be?
I’d love to hear them at robin.pou@robinpou.com.
If you are going to be a leader, you might as well be a good one. Don’t let doubt count you out. Have a confident week!
Robin Pou, Chief Advisor and Strategist
We live to make bad leadership extinct so forward this newsletter to others who strive to be confident leaders.
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What is “The Confident Leader”?
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I began a video series called “Panic or Plan?” It was designed to equip leaders to navigate the doubt they experienced and to rise in the confidence they needed to lead during turbulent times. It took off. I then started this newsletter to equip leaders in the same fashion each week for the doubt that crashes across the bow of their leaderSHIP.
