Leadership Basics – Don’t forget them!
I had a colleague book a special meeting with me recently with an aim to contribute and to help solve some problems. I appreciated it and listened carefully to their analysis and possible solutions.
The conversation included lots of discussion about leadership theory, values and beliefs. Strategies to motivate and ways to create alignment to vision and values.
I hope I was polite before I then went on to say “but they are in a really bad place right now.”
The situation loosely connected to a group of staff who were very negative and stressed. I shared my opinion and listed my description of challenges they have been facing recently.
“The pandemic has been stressful for everyone. Limited access to family. Many lifestyle restrictions. Fears about personal health. Financial pressures. Massive changes to the workplace. Let’s have the conversations about leadership, strategic planning, vision, values and mission but first we need to help people find solid ground. Maybe we need to focus on ways we can support these key challenges, if we can.”
Let’s remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is a motivational theory in psychology comprising of five levels of human needs that are considered hierarchical and in a pyramid. The leadership basics should always begin with this.
Without ever disregarding genuine problems, as well as effective and strategic solutions we must remember the basics. Physiological and safety needs come first. Personal security, health (both physical and mental) as well as financial matters significantly influence our very basic mindset and well being.
If people’s foundations are not strong, their professional lives are rocky.
Leadership basics are sometimes quite simple
Leadership basics include human needs being met first. Sometimes there are more things happening in people’s lives than you may realise. It can be what people are not saying. Their minds might be swimming with stresses that have little to do with the workplace. It is really challenging for people to focus on satisfying higher needs such as self actualisation when basic needs are challenged.
Sometimes it is exactly the right time to relax and focus on the very basics, give people a second chance and weather out the storm.
Grab a cup of coffee and switch off from work.
Leadership basics includes a focus on the people. The real person. The real human needs that are being challenged right now.
Lets focus on the leadership basics.
If you want to learn more about the steps required to set up a school or an international school franchise check out some of our other articles:
– Open a School – 10 Things to Consider
– Steps to Setting Up a New School
– 10 Steps and Articles on How to Set Up a New School
– GSE International School Franchise Models
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About GSE
Global Services in Education plans and opens international schools for investors, developers and governments, and manages them once they are running. 39 school projects delivered across 16 countries. Management agreements run a minimum of ten years.
The company was founded in 2011 by Greg Parry and Shanna Parry.