May 20, 2025 • 42 mins
Are you really showing up for your team—or just checking the boxes?
In today’s high-pressure corporate landscape, being “available” isn’t enough. Your team craves something deeper: leadership that’s emotionally present, strategically engaged, and physically connected—even in a remote world.
In this bold and transformational episode, Bernadette Boas, executive coach and former corporate exec, pulls back the curtain on what it truly means to lead with presence. If your team is burned out, disengaged, or quietly quitting, this episode will hit home—and give you a plan to turn things around fast.
You’ll discover:
- 🔍 The difference between availability and true presence
- 🚩 The hidden costs of leaders who don’t show up (think: burnout, turnover, lost trust)
- 🛠️ 5 powerful strategies to lead with clarity, connection, and confidence
- 💬 Why recognition, listening, and emotional intelligence are your greatest leadership tools
- 🔁 The leadership mindsets that stop progress—and how to flip them
Whether you’re leading 2 people or 200, this episode is your roadmap to becoming the kind of leader your team brags about—not bails on.
🔥 Perfect for:
Corporate professionals, executive managers, team leaders, HR executives, and any ambitious leader ready to ditch burnout leadership and show up with power and purpose.
👉 Listen now and take the first step toward becoming a powerhouse leader.
🎯 Subscribe, rate, and share with a leader who needs to hear this.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Have you ever worked with a leader who is MIA when it
matters most?
Or maybe you've been thatleader busy, stressed out and
unintentionally distant.
Today, we're unpacking what itreally means to show up for your
team, and why it's more thanjust being available.
The truth is, leadership isn'tabout just doing, it's about
(00:25):
leading.
It's about your presence withand for your team.
When managers fail to show upphysically, emotionally and
strategically it leads toconfusion, burnout and quiet
quitting.
We're diving into the mindset,actions and behaviors leaders
must adopt to truly show up, andwe're breaking down exactly
(00:48):
what it means to show up foryour team in today's
high-pressure corporate world.
We'll uncover the most commonmistakes leaders are making and
the ripple effects that theycause.
Lastly, you'll walk away withfive powerful ways to lead with
presence, so you boost trustloyalty and performance.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Let's get into it.
Executive coach and author,brings you into a world where
the corporate grind meetspersonal growth and success in
each and every episode.
With more than 25 years incorporate trenches, bernadette's
own journey from beingdismissed as a tyrant boss to
becoming a sought-afterleadership coach and speaker
illustrates the very essence oftransformation that she now
inspires in others with her tips, strategies and stories.
(01:41):
So if you're ready to shed thebitches of fear and insecurity,
ditch the imposter syndrome andstep into the role of the
powerhouse leader you were bornto be, this podcast is for you.
Let's do this.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Over my many years of being an executive leadership
coach to corporate andentrepreneurial leaders those
with zero direct reports tothose that have hundreds of
direct reports I'll often beasked about presence, about
showing up, being there for ateam, trying to break down the
confusion that one has aboutwhat it truly means, not to them
(02:22):
, but actually to the peoplearound them, when someone says
you need to show up and so Iwant to get into that as well,
as what are the mistakes andwhat are some strategies you
could be using to ensure thatyou are indeed showing up for
your team.
And so what does it mean toshow up?
Think about that.
(02:42):
What do you think it means toshow up and be present for your
team?
Well, for me, it means that youare there for your people even
when you're not asked, and whatI mean by that is, even though
they can work independently,even though you give them an
assignment and they go off andthey know what to do and how to
(03:02):
do it and when it's due andwhatnot.
You are always letting themknow that you're there for any
issues, any problems, any risks,any advice, any guidance, any
coaching, any development, anymotivation.
You know, basically anythingthat you're there for them
without them having to be theones to initiate that request.
(03:26):
At the same time, you're alsoresponsive to them when they do
reach out.
Now, this is a really bigstickler for many people and for
me as an executive coach.
I'll often be told that aemployee will reach out multiple
(03:47):
times via email, via text, viaTeams, via a phone call and they
won't hear back, they won't geta response from their leader
and at first trigger is thatthat is very unacceptable.
First trigger is that that isvery unacceptable.
(04:09):
But before I get there, I haveto be sure that that individual
is asking for a response, isrequiring a follow-up, it has
something in the context of whatit is that they're looking for
to trigger a response from theirleader.
At the same time, in thedefense of the individual, this
actually recently happened witha client of mine.
(04:30):
Say, someone sends their bosskind of an FYI hey, an FYI.
I got this great feedback fromone of the individuals that I
support and I wanted you to knowabout it.
Now they're not going tonecessarily say could you send
me a good job back?
Could you respond to this emailback, because it was an FYI.
(04:53):
However, if you really want toshow up for your team.
You want to just simply shoot anote back going great job, atta
boy, keep it up.
Whatever the case might be, ittakes what?
Two seconds to do that.
That's showing up.
That's showing up and you wantto be there to really appreciate
(05:18):
, to acknowledge, to coach, todevelop and to inspire your
people on a day-in, day-outbasis.
Now, does that mean that youhave to be sending thumbs up on
a literally day-in, day-outbasis?
No, however, if someone does agood job, if someone does get
that kind of feedback that theyshare with you, if someone is
(05:42):
kind of struggling and seekingadvice, and yet without even
knowing or without them actuallyreaching out to you, you're
recognizing that there might bea challenge, there might be a
struggle going on, and then youreach out to them critical and
very motivating.
(06:03):
Should a leader pay attention towhat the needs are and what the
wants are of their employeesand responding to that?
Now, I've talked about this onmultiple episodes, but several
years ago I was doing some focusgroups for a client and so I
was traveling around and I wasinterviewing employees up and
(06:26):
down the food chain in thebusiness to really understand
the employee satisfaction, theemployee effectiveness, the
manager effectiveness andoverall workplace culture of the
organization.
And so it was a whole series ofquestions that I would be
asking.
One of them would be what isthe number one thing your
(06:50):
manager slash leader can do foryou?
You know, what would be thebest thing that they could do
for you?
And the number one response wasit money?
Was it gifts?
Was it lunches?
It was a thank you, it was anattaboy, it was something to
show that they are payingattention and that they
(07:11):
appreciate the contribution thatthey're making, the effort that
they're putting out, thechallenges, that they're
overcoming the skill level, thatthey've been improving
something.
And so you really want to besure that you are acknowledging,
appreciating, coaching anddeveloping and inspiring your
people on a regular basis.
(07:31):
And then, lastly, I would saythey need to know that you have
their back.
They need to know that if theyare given an assignment that
they're not really familiar with, they're not really skilled at
one, you've given it to thembecause you trust them and you
want to help and stretch them Atthe same time.
(07:53):
Should they screw up, shouldthey make a mistake, should they
fail at accomplishing what itis that they were supposed to be
doing.
They want to know that they'renot going to get reprimanded,
they're not going to getdisciplined, but they're going
to be supported, they're goingto be coached, they're going to
be developed, they're going tohave someone that they can trust
, that will have their backwhether things go right or when
(08:17):
things go wrong.
And again, this is one areathat many, many, many employees
always want of their managers,and too often employees feel as
if their managers don't havetheir back.
And what does that come down to?
It comes down to whether or notthey fully trust that the
(08:38):
leader, regardless of what mighthappen and or how it happens,
aren't going to be there toreally provide that coaching,
that development, thatinspiration, that support, that
motivation, and instead theycome in with a hammer and with
discipline, and that's not whatyour team members are looking
for.
That's not showing up for yourpeople.
(09:00):
So, show up for your people bybeing there when they're not
even asking, being responsivewhen they do reach out,
acknowledge, inspire, coach anddevelop.
And, lastly, make sure theyknow you have their back,
because ultimately, there areconsequences to any individual,
(09:21):
any manager who isn't showing upfor their team members, whether
it's short-term or long-term,there'll be burnout, there'll be
disengagement, there'll be lowmorale, there'll be high
turnover, there'll be loss ofcredibility toward you, loss of
respect, loss of trust, loss ofwanting to support not only
(09:46):
their own goals but support yourgoals.
You want to be sure that you'renot the problem, that you're not
the one creating those issuesfor your team members, for
yourself and even for theoverall culture of your team.
In the business, you, as aleader, should be the one
(10:07):
creating everything but burnout,frustration, disengagement, the
turnover or low morale.
And if any of those thingsexist, you need to be well aware
of it and you need to putyourself in an office with a
whiteboard and really reflectand contemplate on how do you
(10:28):
solve that problem.
What do your people need?
And then you go out and you askthem and engage with them to
figure out what's working,what's not working, what do you
need, what do you not need?
How can I support you, how canI be present and show up for you
each and every day so you dothe best job you can do, which
(10:49):
will make my job that mucheasier and I'll be able to
perform at my best as results.
So now that we understand whatshowing up means and we
understand the impact of notshowing up, let's talk about the
dimensions of showing up.
What does that really look like?
(11:11):
So, painting a picture that youcan actually visualize and walk
into so you can assess yourselfas far as on a scale of 1 to 10
, how well am I present and am Inot just available, but I'm
showing up for my team members.
So the first one is obviouslythe physical presence, making
(11:33):
sure that you are touching basewith your team members.
You do have regular check-ins,whether that's as a group or
one-on-one.
Now, and there'll be those thatthen consider that to be oh
well, i-oriented,status-updating only, and it
(12:13):
does seem as if you're gettinginto the muckety-muck where no
leader belongs.
But if you are getting into themuckety-muck and not trusting
them to be able to navigate andhandle and accomplish their
tasks, then it could be verywell defined as micromanaging or
a helicopter boss.
But that's not what one-on-onesor regular check-ins need to be
(12:37):
.
It can simply be.
So how are you?
What's working, what's not?
What do you need?
How can I support you?
Very simple, doesn't have to beeven a half hour, let alone an
hour.
Regular check-ins can be 10,15-minute conversations, just so
they know that you're there forthem, just so they know that if
(12:59):
they need something, you'reresponsive and you're open to
hearing it and supporting themin it.
I would say the next one wouldbe walking the floor, as many
will call it, or making surethat they know there's an open
door policy.
Now, walking the floor.
I come from a retail backgroundwhere we actually literally
(13:23):
walk the floor.
Whether it was in a departmentstore, whether it was the
corporate offices, whether itwas the plant, we would walk the
floor.
And I, specifically, would walkthe floor and just make sure
that I was touching base withall the employees that were
there, or even customers,especially when I worked in
retail, just so they knew that Iwas physically present and
(13:46):
available to them.
At the same time, if you'reremote and you're walking the
floor via Zoom, it's a matter ofjust kind of checking in.
You can even walk the floor byshooting an email, shooting a
text, you know, getting ontoTeams and just saying, hey, how
are you?
How are things going, do youneed anything?
(14:08):
Just know that I'm here.
So walk of the floor can comein various ways and you can get
creative about it.
What does it mean to walk thefloor?
And I will advise a lot of myclients who often are in
corporate offices, manufacturingplants.
I will cast them and challengethem.
(14:30):
Or challenge them to go andwalk the floor, get out of your
office, get out of your locationon the campus, so to speak, and
go to the next building andvisit your employee.
Go down to the plant, go up afloor or down a floor and check
in on people.
(14:50):
Walk down the hallway and knockon someone's door, pop your
head in and just say, hey, howare things going?
And the last thing I want tohear as a coach, most of the
time from my client's managerfrom my client's manager than
(15:16):
the client themselves is theyhave employees scattered around
the office and yet they'll stillshoot emails or text messages
to them.
They won't get up and go downthe hall or go across the campus
or go into the plant in orderto see that person.
At the same time, thatindividual is complaining that
their employee is not respondingto them or their employee is
not giving them what they need,and they're sitting there with
(15:40):
the clock ticking of time beingwasted when they could have
actually gotten out of theirchair, walked across the hallway
, across the campus, whateverthe case might be and had a
face-to-face personalconversation with the people
that are there to help themachieve their goals.
Please do your best again,whether it's virtually or it is
(16:04):
in person, to get up out of yourchair and get up out of email
or text or Teams and, if youhave the opportunity, go and
knock on someone's door, go inand walk and just say hello to
individuals throughout the day.
It doesn't have to be every day.
I challenge my clients often todo it three times a week.
(16:27):
Start with three times a week.
Start with three times a weekand if too much, too little, it
can't happen every week, but atleast make an attempt to put
that into your routine.
Your employees will probably atfirst be uncomfortable with it
Because they'll be like why areyou here?
But at the Zayn time you canengage them in the fact that
(16:50):
this is what you want to bedoing now, alert them to it, but
at the same time, they'll getused to it and they actually
might welcome it and lookforward to it.
Then getting the open doorpolicy across is it's really
important, and this goes back towhat I mentioned at the very
beginning about being responsive.
It's really important, and thisgoes back to what I mentioned
at the very beginning aboutbeing responsive.
(17:10):
It's really important for yourpeople to know that not only do
you have their back, but you arethere for them If they need you
.
They can trust that you willcreate a safe space for them to
come and bring up challenges,issues, risks, opportunities.
Maybe they have an ask, maybethey want to ask for a promotion
(17:32):
, want to ask for a raise, wantto ask to be considered for a
project, whatever the case mightbe, and they need to know that
they can do that at any point intime.
They can reach out and say hey,can we have 10 minutes in the
next couple of days to talk, orcan I schedule a one-on-one with
you over the next week and I'llput it on your calendar?
(17:53):
They need to know that you notonly will be responsive when
they're kind of transactionallyreaching out, but that you're
also there and you have an opendoor policy to hearing and
learning and considering andunderstanding what it is that
they might need.
And then, lastly, when it comesto being physically present, if
(18:18):
you're having standard weeklymeetings or if there's a special
meeting coming up or a specialpresentation coming up, then
ensure that you're actuallyletting your people lead those
things as opposed to just you.
Initiate those meetingsinvolving them as opposed to
talking at them, and make surethat it is a collaborative,
(18:41):
engaging, mutually sharingopportunity for everybody.
Now there'll be some meetingsthat can't be that way.
There'll be some meetings thatyou have to go in and you just
have to state what you need andmake sure everybody understands
it and then end the meeting andthat's that.
But majority of the meetingsthat I know my clients have on a
(19:03):
regular basis, they couldcertainly be structured in such
a way that the leader doesn'tnecessarily have to always be
doing the adding you know, thetalking, the directing, the
delegating, the dictating.
They can actually involve theother team members in the
(19:24):
conversation, in the planning,in the problem solving, in the
collaboration and then that waythey feel like when they come
they're going to be actuallyactively contributing, not just
being talked to or talked at.
I should say that's beingphysically present.
(19:44):
Now they also need you to beemotionally available to them.
They need to know that you areempathetic to their needs and
wants, empathetic to theproblems that they're having,
empathetic to the struggles andthe challenges that they might
get hit up with, and that youcan walk in their shoes and
(20:06):
understand because you've beenthere before that there are ways
through, there are ways toovercome, there are
opportunities for doors to beopened.
They need to know that you canrelate to what it is that they
need and want and desire anddesire and you know you'll work
(20:28):
with them to create thatopportunity, solve that problem,
find this solution, whateverthe case might be Empathy,
emotional intelligence is justabsolutely critical for leaders
today, because people want toknow that you feel for them.
People want to know that youfeel for them.
(20:48):
Right, it's about heart.
It's not just about head.
Head is doing, heart is leading.
The other element of emotionallyavailable is you need to be
observant, you need to beself-aware, so then you could be
picking up on when team membersare struggling, when the team
(21:10):
as a unit are disconnected ordisengaging with each other and
even with you.
You need to understand whatyour faults are as much as your
strengths, and you need to beable to acknowledge those and
work on those and be willing tochange those things that aren't
(21:31):
working, while you're enrichingthose things that are working
and basically conveying to yourteam members.
You know what.
I'm human too, and even thoughI might have this title and this
office and this position, Imake mistakes.
I have my faults, I have myblind spots.
I have areas that I need toimprove on just as much as you
(21:52):
do.
So ensure that you're veryself-aware, you're paying
attention and you're recognizingthe signals in your people,
individually and as a team, ofwhat might be working, what
might not be working and whatthey need in order to work
through any of those challengesthat they might be having.
(22:14):
Lastly, a dimension of showingup is also, then, being
strategically engaged with yourteam members, looking for
opportunities for them to shine,looking for opportunities to
showcase them, looking foropportunities to be able to
advocate for your team,collective team.
They want to know it's similarto having your back.
(22:35):
They want to know that youreally understand what their
workload is To I clients will.
(22:56):
What are you doing?
Another key element of beingstrategically engaged is a
leader really understanding whattheir team members' workload is
Strategically remember so youunderstand, through one-on-ones
and through status updates andthrough conversations of what
(23:20):
their workload is, what theirpriorities are, and then helping
them to reprioritize whereneeded.
Remove any roadblocks, removeany barriers, address any issues
, discuss with otherstakeholders who might have
expectations of one of your teammembers prioritizing their
(23:42):
request over someone else's, soforth and so on.
It's really criticalstrategically for you to really
be able to work with your teammembers and ensure that they're
working on the right things atthe right time for the right
reasons and the right purpose.
And that is all being verystrategic and very much a leader
(24:03):
, and also aligning your team'swork to what the overall
organizational purpose is.
So not taking on projects orhanding out tasks that aren't
aligned to overall team goals,overall business goals, even all
the way down to youunderstanding what that
(24:25):
individual team member's goalsand aspirations and desires are
and ensuring that they'reworking on the things that will
help them achieve them.
So it can get granular at theindividual level and then toward
the team's overall goal andmission for the team success and
(24:46):
then as well for the businesssuccess.
So strategic engagement meansgetting involved with your team
to the point where you can helpthem.
So being strategically engagedinvolves you advocating for your
team, you understanding theirworkload and helping them to
prioritize and remove roadblocks, as well as then aligning your
(25:10):
team's work to theorganization's goals and
missions and aligning yourteam's work to the team and
organization's purpose or goals.
Presence isn't about proximity,it is intentional leadership and
and therefore being physicallypresent, being emotionally
(25:33):
available and strategicallyengaged with your team is going
to set you apart from anybodyelse and ensure that you are
that intentional powerhouseleader.
So what are five things youcould do as of today to really
ensure you are present andshowing up for your team members
?
The first would be make timeeven when time is tight.
(25:57):
Look at your calendar at thebeginning of the month, at the
beginning of the week, and blockout time for your team members,
whether that's one-on-one or ina small group or a larger group
, depending upon the number ofemployees you have.
You might not be able to get itdone in a week or a couple
(26:17):
weeks, not even in a month.
Out time for your team membersand having a specific objective
in mind as far as wanting toensure that that individual or
small group of individuals knowthat you are there, you're
available, you have their back,you're advocating for them,
(26:41):
you're willing to coach, developand inspire them, and that you
have an-door policy and you arewanting to ensure that they have
what they need to be successful, because that, in turn, will
make you successful.
Then a second one would be leadwith listening.
Be sure that you're activelylistening to your team member.
(27:05):
If you're on a call, one-on-oneor in a group, ensure that all
of their distractions areremoved and you are there, very
present and very alert andattentive to what it is that
they're saying, what it is thatthey might be asking for, what
it is that they might need helpin, and don't be the one to be
(27:27):
sitting there and be like I'msorry, I missed that.
You know, I'm over here on myphone, I'm over here on my
computer.
I'm anywhere but present.
Ensure that you're activelypresent and listening to your
team members.
Another thing you could do whenit comes to active listening is
(27:48):
ensure you're asking open-endedquestions.
Now, this is one thing that Imust say at least once with
every one of my clients onalmost every coaching call that
we have, and that is askquestions, don't make statements
.
You don't want to be justtalking at people.
You don't want to be justmaking statements at people.
You don't want to be justtalking at people.
You don't want to be justmaking statements at people.
(28:10):
You don't want to be justdictating to people.
You want a dialogue.
You want heart to heart, maybesometimes head to head, with
heart to heart, and converse andactually collaborate with your
team members, and in order to dothat, it has to be an open
dialogue.
You ask a question, theyprovide you an answer.
(28:34):
You then might have anotherquestion, or you might have a
follow-up, or you might want toadd some context to that part of
the conversation, but you justdon't want to spew statements at
your people.
You could also be using those togather feedback, gather
observations, gather the wantsand the needs of your people.
(28:58):
So what's something I might notbe seeing right now that might
be going on?
What feedback do you have asfar as what I could be doing
better?
What feedback do you have asfar as what I could be doing
better?
How often do your bosses askyou that, as opposed to just
tell you what you could be doingbetter, what if you actually
(29:18):
turned the table and you went tothem and said what could I be
doing differently?
What could I be doing better?
What is it that you need?
This is definitely a routinethat I advise my clients to do
is make those one-on-ones, orthose you know, small to larger
group meetings with your team.
(29:40):
Make them strategic in the waythat you want to gather feedback
regarding your performance, aswell as what you could be doing
for your team members.
Your team members will want towalk through fire for you if
they know that it's important toyou to understand what it is
(30:00):
that they need from you.
That might be different thanwhat you're doing today, and or
might be more of what you'redoing as you lead them.
A third one that you could bedoing is ensure that you're not
the one putting the pressure onyour people, because the
workload, and probably theculture, is creating that as it
(30:25):
is.
Make sure you're the buffer andnot the bottleneck.
Make sure that you're shieldingyour people from any
unnecessary pressure.
So what does that look like?
Well, what that looks like isas transparent as you want to be
, especially in change,especially through chaos.
(30:45):
The more open and transparentyou could be, the more settled
and calm and confident yourpeople will feel, not only
through the change, but with youguiding the change.
But it also means that there'san understanding that you can't
share everything.
There are some decisions beingmade that you're not going to be
(31:07):
able to share, but what you canshare should be shared.
You need to trust your people,and that's going to be through
communication, that's going tobe through engagement and
connectivity.
You really want to ensure thatif there is any pressures coming
down maybe onto you, you don'tneed to be necessarily passing
(31:29):
that on to your team membersbecause it makes you feel better
.
You want to shield them of anypressure that's going to get in
the way of them not only doingtheir job well, but also them
enjoying the job that they'redoing.
Don't be the one creating thestress and the burnout and the
high turnover and the flightrisks and the quiet quitting.
(31:50):
You don't want to be that kindof leader.
That's not a leader actually,then I can't express this one
enough.
You absolutely need to set clearexpectations and goals with
your people.
There is never too muchcommunication when it comes to
(32:11):
ensuring that your people arevery clear on the expectations
you have of them, theexpectations you have of the
business, the goals that havebeen set and defined.
This, the goals that have beenset and defined.
You want to gain theirunderstanding and their
agreement to those expectationsand the goals.
And then you, lastly, you wantto ensure that you're
(32:35):
prioritizing that clarity overany of the negative impact
that's going to come as a resultof them not being clear, and
that's going to be frustrationand stress and that burnout,
because here you gave them anassignment, they went off and
did it.
They came back.
It doesn't meet yourexpectation.
Again, I'd have you firstreflecting was I clear?
(33:01):
Did I give specific direction?
Did I give them all the detailthat they needed in order to do
the job?
You want to ensure that you areprioritizing clarity over that
chaos.
You're prioritizing settingclear expectations, those goals
and ensuring that theyunderstand before you let them
(33:23):
go and gain that confirmation.
So everyone's on the same pageand there's great alignment
between you and them.
Let's talk about recognition,because that's the fourth
strategy you could be using whenit comes to really ensuring
that you're showing up for yourteam.
As we mentioned beforeacknowledge, affirm, appreciate
(33:48):
what it is that they're doing,even when they struggle.
Recognition is very importantto your team members.
Even if it's not to you, it'svery important to your team
members.
So, whether it's public praise,whether it's insular praise,
meaning amongst the team,whether it's one-on-one, private
(34:08):
reinforcement of someone'sattempt, someone's success,
someone's accomplishment, thejourney versus the destination,
whatever the case might be,acknowledge it, appreciate it,
share it and ensure that peopleknow where you stand when it
comes to their contribution andtheir value that they're
(34:30):
bringing to the team and, at thesame time, let team members
really take center stage.
Find those opportunities to putthe spotlight on your team
members.
They will reward you with suchpride and loyalty and support
(34:50):
that all of the peoplemanagement type of challenges
that many leaders have will justgo away.
And lastly, we talked aboutaccountability already and
(35:31):
lastly, we talked aboutaccountability already you need
to own your misses, yourmistakes, your bad decisions.
Your make mistakes too.
Yes, you don't know everything.
You're not the smartest personin the room, but you do have
these weaknesses, these blindspots.
You know you do have a lack ofself-awareness and to do that,
you just simply ensure that youare showing accountability to
them.
Just as you want them toacknowledge that they've made a
mistake, you want them to beresilient and to bounce back
(35:55):
from a challenge.
So you need to show that, thatat something, you want to be the
one to be motivating andinspiring and supporting the
team to be resilient and to bepersistent and to push through
(36:27):
that, if you have a bad day, abad week, a bad month, that you
show your own resilience andyour own determination to just
walk through the fire and get tothe other side.
Now what will get in your wayof taking on one or all five of
these strategies for showing up?
I mentioned a couple of themthroughout the discussion, but
let me summarize a few of them,because you need to get rid of
(36:48):
these excuses if you want to bean effective, influential,
successful powerhouse leader.
Your job as a leader is a peopleleader.
It is to ensure that yourpeople have what it is that they
(37:09):
need in order to be the bestpeople they can be.
Keep in mind that didn'tinvolve you.
I didn't say for you to be thebest leader you can be.
You will become the best leaderby making sure that your people
are the best that they can be.
The other excuse you do not wantto be using and it won't work
(37:33):
on me is oh, they don't need me,they're capable of doing it.
I don't need to spend all thistime with one-on-ones and with
small group meetings.
I don't need to give thempraise.
And I don't need to give thempraise and I don't need to do
this.
And I don't need to do thatbecause they're very independent
.
They're self-initiators and Imentioned this earlier.
Even those individuals need toknow that you're there for them.
(37:56):
They need you to show up forthem.
They need you to be present forthem.
So you brushing off your peopleleader responsibilities,
because they are totally capableof working without you, is a
really poor excuse, the last onebeing I don't want to be a
(38:16):
micromanager.
We talked about it earlier, andyet it's an excuse that
definitely has to go.
Yet it's an excuse thatdefinitely has to go.
Micromanaging isn't about yousimply reaching out to them
one-on-ones and engaging them ina conversation of what's
working, what's not working,what do they need, what do they
not need?
How can you support them to dotheir job and get the work done?
(38:41):
Micromanaging is merely likegetting in and doing their job.
That's not what you're doing asa leader.
As a leader, you're supportingthem, you're coaching them,
you're developing them, you'reinspiring them.
You're giving them what it isthat they need in order to be
the best individuals that theycan be.
So if anything you take awayfrom here is please get rid of
(39:06):
the excuses that you're too busy, you don't want to micromanage
or they don't need you.
They are not serving you in anyway, shape or form.
So let me summarize what we'vetalked about, because we've
talked about that a lot.
We've talked about all thedimensions of what it means to
show up, to be present for yourteam.
(39:27):
We also talked about what smallactions you could be taking
that are going to create bigresults, grand gestures.
They're going to createsuccesses for your team members
and as well for you.
And then, at the same time, wehighlight the fact that your
team is watching you.
(39:48):
They're watching whether or notyou're showing up each and
every day.
They know if you are and theyknow if you're not, and they're
making their judgment and theirperceptions of you based on it.
So what do you want yourperception to be?
How do you want your teammembers to describe you to
others?
If you're up for a promotion,up for an opportunity, and
(40:12):
someone comes to them and asksso how is Sally as your leader?
What would you want her to sayabout you?
Her to say about you, because,trust me, they'll be very candid
about their feelings, theirexperiences, their perceptions.
(40:34):
So what is it that you wantthem to be able to say about you
?
So, think about that Before wego.
I want to give you a challengefor this week.
Before we go, I want to giveyou a challenge for this week
regarding this conversation.
I want you to go to one of yourteam members and ask them what
support do they need and wantfrom you and ensure that they
(40:58):
answer that, because they may atfirst be kind of apprehensive
and suspicious as to why you'reasking, but push through that
and ask them sincerely andgenuinely what it is, what
support you could be providingthem, and then act on it.
Act on whatever request theyhave of you, whatever need they
(41:21):
have of you, and then I wouldlove for you to share your
experience and the outcome ofthat challenge.
You can email me atBernadetteBose at
BallafireInccom and let me know.
I'd love to hear about it Now.
If you are struggling in anyway to really show up, be
present and to be the type ofleader that you really want to
(41:44):
be for your people, thenschedule a free call with me and
let's talk.
I can give you tips andstrategies within a 30 minute
time frame that will set you upto really go forward and be that
powerhouse, present leader, andbe sure to follow the show at
ballofirecoachingcom forwardslash podcast, where you can
(42:05):
subscribe, and follow us onYouTube or any one of the
podcast streaming services andI'll look forward to having you
right back here for anotherepisode of Shedding the
Corporate Bitch.
Bye.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
Thank you for tuning into today's episode of Shedding
the Corporate Bitch.
Every journey taken together isanother step towards unleashing
the powerhouse leader withinyou.
Don't miss any of our weeklyepisodes.
Subscribe to our podcast onApple Podcasts, spotify or
wherever you love to listen.
And, for those who thrive onvisual content, catch us on our
Shedding the Bitch YouTubechannel.
Want to dive deeper withBernadette on becoming a
(42:40):
powerhouse leader?
Visit balloffirecoachingcom tolearn more about how she helps
professionals, hr executives andteam leaders elevate overall
team performance.
You've been listening toShedding the Corporate Bitch
with Bernadette Boas.
Until next time, keep shedding,keep growing and keep leading.
Have you ever worked with a leader who is MIA when it
matters most?
Or maybe you've been thatleader busy, stressed out and
unintentionally distant.
Today, we're unpacking what itreally means to show up for your
team, and why it's more thanjust being available.
The truth is, leadership isn'tabout just doing, it's about
(00:25):
leading.
It's about your presence withand for your team.
When managers fail to show upphysically, emotionally and
strategically it leads toconfusion, burnout and quiet
quitting.
We're diving into the mindset,actions and behaviors leaders
must adopt to truly show up, andwe're breaking down exactly
(00:48):
what it means to show up foryour team in today's
high-pressure corporate world.
We'll uncover the most commonmistakes leaders are making and
the ripple effects that theycause.
Lastly, you'll walk away withfive powerful ways to lead with
presence, so you boost trustloyalty and performance.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Let's get into it.
Executive coach and author,brings you into a world where
the corporate grind meetspersonal growth and success in
each and every episode.
With more than 25 years incorporate trenches, bernadette's
own journey from beingdismissed as a tyrant boss to
becoming a sought-afterleadership coach and speaker
illustrates the very essence oftransformation that she now
inspires in others with her tips, strategies and stories.
(01:41):
So if you're ready to shed thebitches of fear and insecurity,
ditch the imposter syndrome andstep into the role of the
powerhouse leader you were bornto be, this podcast is for you.
Let's do this.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Over my many years of being an executive leadership
coach to corporate andentrepreneurial leaders those
with zero direct reports tothose that have hundreds of
direct reports I'll often beasked about presence, about
showing up, being there for ateam, trying to break down the
confusion that one has aboutwhat it truly means, not to them
(02:22):
, but actually to the peoplearound them, when someone says
you need to show up and so Iwant to get into that as well,
as what are the mistakes andwhat are some strategies you
could be using to ensure thatyou are indeed showing up for
your team.
And so what does it mean toshow up?
Think about that.
(02:42):
What do you think it means toshow up and be present for your
team?
Well, for me, it means that youare there for your people even
when you're not asked, and whatI mean by that is, even though
they can work independently,even though you give them an
assignment and they go off andthey know what to do and how to
(03:02):
do it and when it's due andwhatnot.
You are always letting themknow that you're there for any
issues, any problems, any risks,any advice, any guidance, any
coaching, any development, anymotivation.
You know, basically anythingthat you're there for them
without them having to be theones to initiate that request.
(03:26):
At the same time, you're alsoresponsive to them when they do
reach out.
Now, this is a really bigstickler for many people and for
me as an executive coach.
I'll often be told that aemployee will reach out multiple
(03:47):
times via email, via text, viaTeams, via a phone call and they
won't hear back, they won't geta response from their leader
and at first trigger is thatthat is very unacceptable.
First trigger is that that isvery unacceptable.
(04:09):
But before I get there, I haveto be sure that that individual
is asking for a response, isrequiring a follow-up, it has
something in the context of whatit is that they're looking for
to trigger a response from theirleader.
At the same time, in thedefense of the individual, this
actually recently happened witha client of mine.
(04:30):
Say, someone sends their bosskind of an FYI hey, an FYI.
I got this great feedback fromone of the individuals that I
support and I wanted you to knowabout it.
Now they're not going tonecessarily say could you send
me a good job back?
Could you respond to this emailback, because it was an FYI.
(04:53):
However, if you really want toshow up for your team.
You want to just simply shoot anote back going great job, atta
boy, keep it up.
Whatever the case might be, ittakes what?
Two seconds to do that.
That's showing up.
That's showing up and you wantto be there to really appreciate
(05:18):
, to acknowledge, to coach, todevelop and to inspire your
people on a day-in, day-outbasis.
Now, does that mean that youhave to be sending thumbs up on
a literally day-in, day-outbasis?
No, however, if someone does agood job, if someone does get
that kind of feedback that theyshare with you, if someone is
(05:42):
kind of struggling and seekingadvice, and yet without even
knowing or without them actuallyreaching out to you, you're
recognizing that there might bea challenge, there might be a
struggle going on, and then youreach out to them critical and
very motivating.
(06:03):
Should a leader pay attention towhat the needs are and what the
wants are of their employeesand responding to that?
Now, I've talked about this onmultiple episodes, but several
years ago I was doing some focusgroups for a client and so I
was traveling around and I wasinterviewing employees up and
(06:26):
down the food chain in thebusiness to really understand
the employee satisfaction, theemployee effectiveness, the
manager effectiveness andoverall workplace culture of the
organization.
And so it was a whole series ofquestions that I would be
asking.
One of them would be what isthe number one thing your
(06:50):
manager slash leader can do foryou?
You know, what would be thebest thing that they could do
for you?
And the number one response wasit money?
Was it gifts?
Was it lunches?
It was a thank you, it was anattaboy, it was something to
show that they are payingattention and that they
(07:11):
appreciate the contribution thatthey're making, the effort that
they're putting out, thechallenges, that they're
overcoming the skill level, thatthey've been improving
something.
And so you really want to besure that you are acknowledging,
appreciating, coaching anddeveloping and inspiring your
people on a regular basis.
(07:31):
And then, lastly, I would saythey need to know that you have
their back.
They need to know that if theyare given an assignment that
they're not really familiar with, they're not really skilled at
one, you've given it to thembecause you trust them and you
want to help and stretch them Atthe same time.
(07:53):
Should they screw up, shouldthey make a mistake, should they
fail at accomplishing what itis that they were supposed to be
doing.
They want to know that they'renot going to get reprimanded,
they're not going to getdisciplined, but they're going
to be supported, they're goingto be coached, they're going to
be developed, they're going tohave someone that they can trust
, that will have their backwhether things go right or when
(08:17):
things go wrong.
And again, this is one areathat many, many, many employees
always want of their managers,and too often employees feel as
if their managers don't havetheir back.
And what does that come down to?
It comes down to whether or notthey fully trust that the
(08:38):
leader, regardless of what mighthappen and or how it happens,
aren't going to be there toreally provide that coaching,
that development, thatinspiration, that support, that
motivation, and instead theycome in with a hammer and with
discipline, and that's not whatyour team members are looking
for.
That's not showing up for yourpeople.
(09:00):
So, show up for your people bybeing there when they're not
even asking, being responsivewhen they do reach out,
acknowledge, inspire, coach anddevelop.
And, lastly, make sure theyknow you have their back,
because ultimately, there areconsequences to any individual,
(09:21):
any manager who isn't showing upfor their team members, whether
it's short-term or long-term,there'll be burnout, there'll be
disengagement, there'll be lowmorale, there'll be high
turnover, there'll be loss ofcredibility toward you, loss of
respect, loss of trust, loss ofwanting to support not only
(09:46):
their own goals but support yourgoals.
You want to be sure that you'renot the problem, that you're not
the one creating those issuesfor your team members, for
yourself and even for theoverall culture of your team.
In the business, you, as aleader, should be the one
(10:07):
creating everything but burnout,frustration, disengagement, the
turnover or low morale.
And if any of those thingsexist, you need to be well aware
of it and you need to putyourself in an office with a
whiteboard and really reflectand contemplate on how do you
(10:28):
solve that problem.
What do your people need?
And then you go out and you askthem and engage with them to
figure out what's working,what's not working, what do you
need, what do you not need?
How can I support you, how canI be present and show up for you
each and every day so you dothe best job you can do, which
(10:49):
will make my job that mucheasier and I'll be able to
perform at my best as results.
So now that we understand whatshowing up means and we
understand the impact of notshowing up, let's talk about the
dimensions of showing up.
What does that really look like?
(11:11):
So, painting a picture that youcan actually visualize and walk
into so you can assess yourselfas far as on a scale of 1 to 10
, how well am I present and am Inot just available, but I'm
showing up for my team members.
So the first one is obviouslythe physical presence, making
(11:33):
sure that you are touching basewith your team members.
You do have regular check-ins,whether that's as a group or
one-on-one.
Now, and there'll be those thatthen consider that to be oh
well, i-oriented,status-updating only, and it
(12:13):
does seem as if you're gettinginto the muckety-muck where no
leader belongs.
But if you are getting into themuckety-muck and not trusting
them to be able to navigate andhandle and accomplish their
tasks, then it could be verywell defined as micromanaging or
a helicopter boss.
But that's not what one-on-onesor regular check-ins need to be
(12:37):
.
It can simply be.
So how are you?
What's working, what's not?
What do you need?
How can I support you?
Very simple, doesn't have to beeven a half hour, let alone an
hour.
Regular check-ins can be 10,15-minute conversations, just so
they know that you're there forthem, just so they know that if
(12:59):
they need something, you'reresponsive and you're open to
hearing it and supporting themin it.
I would say the next one wouldbe walking the floor, as many
will call it, or making surethat they know there's an open
door policy.
Now, walking the floor.
I come from a retail backgroundwhere we actually literally
(13:23):
walk the floor.
Whether it was in a departmentstore, whether it was the
corporate offices, whether itwas the plant, we would walk the
floor.
And I, specifically, would walkthe floor and just make sure
that I was touching base withall the employees that were
there, or even customers,especially when I worked in
retail, just so they knew that Iwas physically present and
(13:46):
available to them.
At the same time, if you'reremote and you're walking the
floor via Zoom, it's a matter ofjust kind of checking in.
You can even walk the floor byshooting an email, shooting a
text, you know, getting ontoTeams and just saying, hey, how
are you?
How are things going, do youneed anything?
(14:08):
Just know that I'm here.
So walk of the floor can comein various ways and you can get
creative about it.
What does it mean to walk thefloor?
And I will advise a lot of myclients who often are in
corporate offices, manufacturingplants.
I will cast them and challengethem.
(14:30):
Or challenge them to go andwalk the floor, get out of your
office, get out of your locationon the campus, so to speak, and
go to the next building andvisit your employee.
Go down to the plant, go up afloor or down a floor and check
in on people.
(14:50):
Walk down the hallway and knockon someone's door, pop your
head in and just say, hey, howare things going?
And the last thing I want tohear as a coach, most of the
time from my client's managerfrom my client's manager than
(15:16):
the client themselves is theyhave employees scattered around
the office and yet they'll stillshoot emails or text messages
to them.
They won't get up and go downthe hall or go across the campus
or go into the plant in orderto see that person.
At the same time, thatindividual is complaining that
their employee is not respondingto them or their employee is
not giving them what they need,and they're sitting there with
(15:40):
the clock ticking of time beingwasted when they could have
actually gotten out of theirchair, walked across the hallway
, across the campus, whateverthe case might be and had a
face-to-face personalconversation with the people
that are there to help themachieve their goals.
Please do your best again,whether it's virtually or it is
(16:04):
in person, to get up out of yourchair and get up out of email
or text or Teams and, if youhave the opportunity, go and
knock on someone's door, go inand walk and just say hello to
individuals throughout the day.
It doesn't have to be every day.
I challenge my clients often todo it three times a week.
(16:27):
Start with three times a week.
Start with three times a weekand if too much, too little, it
can't happen every week, but atleast make an attempt to put
that into your routine.
Your employees will probably atfirst be uncomfortable with it
Because they'll be like why areyou here?
But at the Zayn time you canengage them in the fact that
(16:50):
this is what you want to bedoing now, alert them to it, but
at the same time, they'll getused to it and they actually
might welcome it and lookforward to it.
Then getting the open doorpolicy across is it's really
important, and this goes back towhat I mentioned at the very
beginning about being responsive.
It's really important, and thisgoes back to what I mentioned
at the very beginning aboutbeing responsive.
(17:10):
It's really important for yourpeople to know that not only do
you have their back, but you arethere for them If they need you
.
They can trust that you willcreate a safe space for them to
come and bring up challenges,issues, risks, opportunities.
Maybe they have an ask, maybethey want to ask for a promotion
(17:32):
, want to ask for a raise, wantto ask to be considered for a
project, whatever the case mightbe, and they need to know that
they can do that at any point intime.
They can reach out and say hey,can we have 10 minutes in the
next couple of days to talk, orcan I schedule a one-on-one with
you over the next week and I'llput it on your calendar?
(17:53):
They need to know that you notonly will be responsive when
they're kind of transactionallyreaching out, but that you're
also there and you have an opendoor policy to hearing and
learning and considering andunderstanding what it is that
they might need.
And then, lastly, when it comesto being physically present, if
(18:18):
you're having standard weeklymeetings or if there's a special
meeting coming up or a specialpresentation coming up, then
ensure that you're actuallyletting your people lead those
things as opposed to just you.
Initiate those meetingsinvolving them as opposed to
talking at them, and make surethat it is a collaborative,
(18:41):
engaging, mutually sharingopportunity for everybody.
Now there'll be some meetingsthat can't be that way.
There'll be some meetings thatyou have to go in and you just
have to state what you need andmake sure everybody understands
it and then end the meeting andthat's that.
But majority of the meetingsthat I know my clients have on a
(19:03):
regular basis, they couldcertainly be structured in such
a way that the leader doesn'tnecessarily have to always be
doing the adding you know, thetalking, the directing, the
delegating, the dictating.
They can actually involve theother team members in the
(19:24):
conversation, in the planning,in the problem solving, in the
collaboration and then that waythey feel like when they come
they're going to be actuallyactively contributing, not just
being talked to or talked at.
I should say that's beingphysically present.
(19:44):
Now they also need you to beemotionally available to them.
They need to know that you areempathetic to their needs and
wants, empathetic to theproblems that they're having,
empathetic to the struggles andthe challenges that they might
get hit up with, and that youcan walk in their shoes and
(20:06):
understand because you've beenthere before that there are ways
through, there are ways toovercome, there are
opportunities for doors to beopened.
They need to know that you canrelate to what it is that they
need and want and desire anddesire and you know you'll work
(20:28):
with them to create thatopportunity, solve that problem,
find this solution, whateverthe case might be Empathy,
emotional intelligence is justabsolutely critical for leaders
today, because people want toknow that you feel for them.
People want to know that youfeel for them.
(20:48):
Right, it's about heart.
It's not just about head.
Head is doing, heart is leading.
The other element of emotionallyavailable is you need to be
observant, you need to beself-aware, so then you could be
picking up on when team membersare struggling, when the team
(21:10):
as a unit are disconnected ordisengaging with each other and
even with you.
You need to understand whatyour faults are as much as your
strengths, and you need to beable to acknowledge those and
work on those and be willing tochange those things that aren't
(21:31):
working, while you're enrichingthose things that are working
and basically conveying to yourteam members.
You know what.
I'm human too, and even thoughI might have this title and this
office and this position, Imake mistakes.
I have my faults, I have myblind spots.
I have areas that I need toimprove on just as much as you
(21:52):
do.
So ensure that you're veryself-aware, you're paying
attention and you're recognizingthe signals in your people,
individually and as a team, ofwhat might be working, what
might not be working and whatthey need in order to work
through any of those challengesthat they might be having.
(22:14):
Lastly, a dimension of showingup is also, then, being
strategically engaged with yourteam members, looking for
opportunities for them to shine,looking for opportunities to
showcase them, looking foropportunities to be able to
advocate for your team,collective team.
They want to know it's similarto having your back.
(22:35):
They want to know that youreally understand what their
workload is To I clients will.
(22:56):
What are you doing?
Another key element of beingstrategically engaged is a
leader really understanding whattheir team members' workload is
Strategically remember so youunderstand, through one-on-ones
and through status updates andthrough conversations of what
(23:20):
their workload is, what theirpriorities are, and then helping
them to reprioritize whereneeded.
Remove any roadblocks, removeany barriers, address any issues
, discuss with otherstakeholders who might have
expectations of one of your teammembers prioritizing their
(23:42):
request over someone else's, soforth and so on.
It's really criticalstrategically for you to really
be able to work with your teammembers and ensure that they're
working on the right things atthe right time for the right
reasons and the right purpose.
And that is all being verystrategic and very much a leader
(24:03):
, and also aligning your team'swork to what the overall
organizational purpose is.
So not taking on projects orhanding out tasks that aren't
aligned to overall team goals,overall business goals, even all
the way down to youunderstanding what that
(24:25):
individual team member's goalsand aspirations and desires are
and ensuring that they'reworking on the things that will
help them achieve them.
So it can get granular at theindividual level and then toward
the team's overall goal andmission for the team success and
(24:46):
then as well for the businesssuccess.
So strategic engagement meansgetting involved with your team
to the point where you can helpthem.
So being strategically engagedinvolves you advocating for your
team, you understanding theirworkload and helping them to
prioritize and remove roadblocks, as well as then aligning your
(25:10):
team's work to theorganization's goals and
missions and aligning yourteam's work to the team and
organization's purpose or goals.
Presence isn't about proximity,it is intentional leadership and
and therefore being physicallypresent, being emotionally
(25:33):
available and strategicallyengaged with your team is going
to set you apart from anybodyelse and ensure that you are
that intentional powerhouseleader.
So what are five things youcould do as of today to really
ensure you are present andshowing up for your team members
?
The first would be make timeeven when time is tight.
(25:57):
Look at your calendar at thebeginning of the month, at the
beginning of the week, and blockout time for your team members,
whether that's one-on-one or ina small group or a larger group
, depending upon the number ofemployees you have.
You might not be able to get itdone in a week or a couple
(26:17):
weeks, not even in a month.
Out time for your team membersand having a specific objective
in mind as far as wanting toensure that that individual or
small group of individuals knowthat you are there, you're
available, you have their back,you're advocating for them,
(26:41):
you're willing to coach, developand inspire them, and that you
have an-door policy and you arewanting to ensure that they have
what they need to be successful, because that, in turn, will
make you successful.
Then a second one would be leadwith listening.
Be sure that you're activelylistening to your team member.
(27:05):
If you're on a call, one-on-oneor in a group, ensure that all
of their distractions areremoved and you are there, very
present and very alert andattentive to what it is that
they're saying, what it is thatthey might be asking for, what
it is that they might need helpin, and don't be the one to be
(27:27):
sitting there and be like I'msorry, I missed that.
You know, I'm over here on myphone, I'm over here on my
computer.
I'm anywhere but present.
Ensure that you're activelypresent and listening to your
team members.
Another thing you could do whenit comes to active listening is
(27:48):
ensure you're asking open-endedquestions.
Now, this is one thing that Imust say at least once with
every one of my clients onalmost every coaching call that
we have, and that is askquestions, don't make statements
.
You don't want to be justtalking at people.
You don't want to be justmaking statements at people.
You don't want to be justtalking at people.
You don't want to be justmaking statements at people.
(28:10):
You don't want to be justdictating to people.
You want a dialogue.
You want heart to heart, maybesometimes head to head, with
heart to heart, and converse andactually collaborate with your
team members, and in order to dothat, it has to be an open
dialogue.
You ask a question, theyprovide you an answer.
(28:34):
You then might have anotherquestion, or you might have a
follow-up, or you might want toadd some context to that part of
the conversation, but you justdon't want to spew statements at
your people.
You could also be using those togather feedback, gather
observations, gather the wantsand the needs of your people.
(28:58):
So what's something I might notbe seeing right now that might
be going on?
What feedback do you have asfar as what I could be doing
better?
What feedback do you have asfar as what I could be doing
better?
How often do your bosses askyou that, as opposed to just
tell you what you could be doingbetter, what if you actually
(29:18):
turned the table and you went tothem and said what could I be
doing differently?
What could I be doing better?
What is it that you need?
This is definitely a routinethat I advise my clients to do
is make those one-on-ones, orthose you know, small to larger
group meetings with your team.
(29:40):
Make them strategic in the waythat you want to gather feedback
regarding your performance, aswell as what you could be doing
for your team members.
Your team members will want towalk through fire for you if
they know that it's important toyou to understand what it is
(30:00):
that they need from you.
That might be different thanwhat you're doing today, and or
might be more of what you'redoing as you lead them.
A third one that you could bedoing is ensure that you're not
the one putting the pressure onyour people, because the
workload, and probably theculture, is creating that as it
(30:25):
is.
Make sure you're the buffer andnot the bottleneck.
Make sure that you're shieldingyour people from any
unnecessary pressure.
So what does that look like?
Well, what that looks like isas transparent as you want to be
, especially in change,especially through chaos.
(30:45):
The more open and transparentyou could be, the more settled
and calm and confident yourpeople will feel, not only
through the change, but with youguiding the change.
But it also means that there'san understanding that you can't
share everything.
There are some decisions beingmade that you're not going to be
(31:07):
able to share, but what you canshare should be shared.
You need to trust your people,and that's going to be through
communication, that's going tobe through engagement and
connectivity.
You really want to ensure thatif there is any pressures coming
down maybe onto you, you don'tneed to be necessarily passing
(31:29):
that on to your team membersbecause it makes you feel better
.
You want to shield them of anypressure that's going to get in
the way of them not only doingtheir job well, but also them
enjoying the job that they'redoing.
Don't be the one creating thestress and the burnout and the
high turnover and the flightrisks and the quiet quitting.
(31:50):
You don't want to be that kindof leader.
That's not a leader actually,then I can't express this one
enough.
You absolutely need to set clearexpectations and goals with
your people.
There is never too muchcommunication when it comes to
(32:11):
ensuring that your people arevery clear on the expectations
you have of them, theexpectations you have of the
business, the goals that havebeen set and defined.
This, the goals that have beenset and defined.
You want to gain theirunderstanding and their
agreement to those expectationsand the goals.
And then you, lastly, you wantto ensure that you're
(32:35):
prioritizing that clarity overany of the negative impact
that's going to come as a resultof them not being clear, and
that's going to be frustrationand stress and that burnout,
because here you gave them anassignment, they went off and
did it.
They came back.
It doesn't meet yourexpectation.
Again, I'd have you firstreflecting was I clear?
(33:01):
Did I give specific direction?
Did I give them all the detailthat they needed in order to do
the job?
You want to ensure that you areprioritizing clarity over that
chaos.
You're prioritizing settingclear expectations, those goals
and ensuring that theyunderstand before you let them
(33:23):
go and gain that confirmation.
So everyone's on the same pageand there's great alignment
between you and them.
Let's talk about recognition,because that's the fourth
strategy you could be using whenit comes to really ensuring
that you're showing up for yourteam.
As we mentioned beforeacknowledge, affirm, appreciate
(33:48):
what it is that they're doing,even when they struggle.
Recognition is very importantto your team members.
Even if it's not to you, it'svery important to your team
members.
So, whether it's public praise,whether it's insular praise,
meaning amongst the team,whether it's one-on-one, private
(34:08):
reinforcement of someone'sattempt, someone's success,
someone's accomplishment, thejourney versus the destination,
whatever the case might be,acknowledge it, appreciate it,
share it and ensure that peopleknow where you stand when it
comes to their contribution andtheir value that they're
(34:30):
bringing to the team and, at thesame time, let team members
really take center stage.
Find those opportunities to putthe spotlight on your team
members.
They will reward you with suchpride and loyalty and support
(34:50):
that all of the peoplemanagement type of challenges
that many leaders have will justgo away.
And lastly, we talked aboutaccountability already and
(35:31):
lastly, we talked aboutaccountability already you need
to own your misses, yourmistakes, your bad decisions.
Your make mistakes too.
Yes, you don't know everything.
You're not the smartest personin the room, but you do have
these weaknesses, these blindspots.
You know you do have a lack ofself-awareness and to do that,
you just simply ensure that youare showing accountability to
them.
Just as you want them toacknowledge that they've made a
mistake, you want them to beresilient and to bounce back
(35:55):
from a challenge.
So you need to show that, thatat something, you want to be the
one to be motivating andinspiring and supporting the
team to be resilient and to bepersistent and to push through
(36:27):
that, if you have a bad day, abad week, a bad month, that you
show your own resilience andyour own determination to just
walk through the fire and get tothe other side.
Now what will get in your wayof taking on one or all five of
these strategies for showing up?
I mentioned a couple of themthroughout the discussion, but
let me summarize a few of them,because you need to get rid of
(36:48):
these excuses if you want to bean effective, influential,
successful powerhouse leader.
Your job as a leader is a peopleleader.
It is to ensure that yourpeople have what it is that they
(37:09):
need in order to be the bestpeople they can be.
Keep in mind that didn'tinvolve you.
I didn't say for you to be thebest leader you can be.
You will become the best leaderby making sure that your people
are the best that they can be.
The other excuse you do not wantto be using and it won't work
(37:33):
on me is oh, they don't need me,they're capable of doing it.
I don't need to spend all thistime with one-on-ones and with
small group meetings.
I don't need to give thempraise.
And I don't need to give thempraise and I don't need to do
this.
And I don't need to do thatbecause they're very independent
.
They're self-initiators and Imentioned this earlier.
Even those individuals need toknow that you're there for them.
(37:56):
They need you to show up forthem.
They need you to be present forthem.
So you brushing off your peopleleader responsibilities,
because they are totally capableof working without you, is a
really poor excuse, the last onebeing I don't want to be a
(38:16):
micromanager.
We talked about it earlier, andyet it's an excuse that
definitely has to go.
Yet it's an excuse thatdefinitely has to go.
Micromanaging isn't about yousimply reaching out to them
one-on-ones and engaging them ina conversation of what's
working, what's not working,what do they need, what do they
not need?
How can you support them to dotheir job and get the work done?
(38:41):
Micromanaging is merely likegetting in and doing their job.
That's not what you're doing asa leader.
As a leader, you're supportingthem, you're coaching them,
you're developing them, you'reinspiring them.
You're giving them what it isthat they need in order to be
the best individuals that theycan be.
So if anything you take awayfrom here is please get rid of
(39:06):
the excuses that you're too busy, you don't want to micromanage
or they don't need you.
They are not serving you in anyway, shape or form.
So let me summarize what we'vetalked about, because we've
talked about that a lot.
We've talked about all thedimensions of what it means to
show up, to be present for yourteam.
(39:27):
We also talked about what smallactions you could be taking
that are going to create bigresults, grand gestures.
They're going to createsuccesses for your team members
and as well for you.
And then, at the same time, wehighlight the fact that your
team is watching you.
(39:48):
They're watching whether or notyou're showing up each and
every day.
They know if you are and theyknow if you're not, and they're
making their judgment and theirperceptions of you based on it.
So what do you want yourperception to be?
How do you want your teammembers to describe you to
others?
If you're up for a promotion,up for an opportunity, and
(40:12):
someone comes to them and asksso how is Sally as your leader?
What would you want her to sayabout you?
Her to say about you, because,trust me, they'll be very candid
about their feelings, theirexperiences, their perceptions.
(40:34):
So what is it that you wantthem to be able to say about you
?
So, think about that Before wego.
I want to give you a challengefor this week.
Before we go, I want to giveyou a challenge for this week
regarding this conversation.
I want you to go to one of yourteam members and ask them what
support do they need and wantfrom you and ensure that they
(40:58):
answer that, because they may atfirst be kind of apprehensive
and suspicious as to why you'reasking, but push through that
and ask them sincerely andgenuinely what it is, what
support you could be providingthem, and then act on it.
Act on whatever request theyhave of you, whatever need they
(41:21):
have of you, and then I wouldlove for you to share your
experience and the outcome ofthat challenge.
You can email me atBernadetteBose at
BallafireInccom and let me know.
I'd love to hear about it Now.
If you are struggling in anyway to really show up, be
present and to be the type ofleader that you really want to
(41:44):
be for your people, thenschedule a free call with me and
let's talk.
I can give you tips andstrategies within a 30 minute
time frame that will set you upto really go forward and be that
powerhouse, present leader, andbe sure to follow the show at
ballofirecoachingcom forwardslash podcast, where you can
(42:05):
subscribe, and follow us onYouTube or any one of the
podcast streaming services andI'll look forward to having you
right back here for anotherepisode of Shedding the
Corporate Bitch.
Bye.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
Thank you for tuning into today's episode of Shedding
the Corporate Bitch.
Every journey taken together isanother step towards unleashing
the powerhouse leader withinyou.
Don't miss any of our weeklyepisodes.
Subscribe to our podcast onApple Podcasts, spotify or
wherever you love to listen.
And, for those who thrive onvisual content, catch us on our
Shedding the Bitch YouTubechannel.
Want to dive deeper withBernadette on becoming a
(42:40):
powerhouse leader?
Visit balloffirecoachingcom tolearn more about how she helps
professionals, hr executives andteam leaders elevate overall
team performance.
You've been listening toShedding the Corporate Bitch
with Bernadette Boas.
Until next time, keep shedding,keep growing and keep leading.
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