The Brokenness Of Leadership
Written by: Santarvis Brown, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Leadership isn’t easy. From CEOs to management and every level in between, people want to know how they can become better leaders. Did you know that the best leadership experience comes from brokenness? It’s true!
When you have experienced extreme hardship and come out of it able to reach greater heights and create a healthy life and successful career, you are used to facing the difficulties life can throw your way. More specifically, you learn to govern yourself and operate through extreme pressure. What better knowledge could you have as a leader?
In this article, I’m going to look at the way broken leaders connect with their employees and use their experiences to fuel their drive and build compassionate relationships with their workforce.
1. Broken leaders have compassion
Broken people understand how hard it can be to function when everything is chaotic. This allows them to walk the line between skilled, compassionate leaders and managers only interested in productivity. By understanding the way life tends to become unraveled without a single warning sign, these leaders can help employees work around their problems and deliver quality work on time.
Leaders without this understanding are often unyielding in their demands and expectations. And while that might meet ambitious deadlines, it certainly won’t build a loyal team of experienced professionals willing to go the extra mile.
2. Broken leaders don’t worry about what people think
It is natural to worry about what other people think. Our image shapes people’s opinions of us, after all, and can be either a boon or a burden. There is a difference between consciously presenting yourself professionally and being paralyzed by what others think. Many broken people eventually reach the point where someone else’s opinion no longer has a place in their lives. Feeling better and living their life one day at a time becomes the most effective approach to moving on and establishing a new normal.
Leaders without the realization that other people’s opinions are not nearly as important as they might feel in traditional work environments worry more about appearances than quality work. These are the leaders who not only push employees to their breaking point but also constantly strive to look better for the “higher ups” regardless of what that determination does to their workforce.
3. Broken leaders connect to their employees
I discussed this briefly in an earlier section, but broken leaders listen to their employees and maintain a humble and approachable appearance. This is important for a few different reasons. The first is that this kind of communication allows employees to communicate more freely with leaders. Just as important is the impact a shared understanding has on office health. Compassionate leaders create compassionate employees and a healthy, productive corporate culture.
Leaders with the desire and ability to connect with employees on a human level are ideal leaders. They value their workforce as individuals and build tight-knit teams willing to go to bat for their teammates. Ironically, it turns out that broken people are some of the strongest, both in their professional and personal lives.
Santarvis Brown, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Santarvis Brown has spent 15+ years serving as a leader, innovator, and changemaker in education, showcasing in-depth insight as an administrator, educator, and program director. A noted speaker, researcher, and full professor, he has lent his speaking talent to many community and educational forums, serving as a keynote speaker. He has also penned several publications tackling issues in civic service, faith, leadership, and education.
