For those in leadership positions, you may feel like you always have to be in control of everything all of the time. With so many eyes on you, what do you do if your team is underperforming and the pressure is on you to help turn things around?
Even if you don’t mean to at first, you may resort to manipulating those around you by pleasing some people and perhaps exploiting others. However, you won’t have to do any of these actions if you develop a strong sense of intuition and creativity. But how do you use these leadership qualities to your advantage?
Understand How to Lead with Purpose
Being a leader isn’t only about telling people what to do. However, understanding why you’re a leader and learning how to tread this path meaningfully is not something you can do on your own. If you need some guidance and introspection, scheduling some human design readings with a life coach can help you tune into your intuition.
After learning what kind of leader you are and finding out your purpose for being one, you’ll have a better idea of what to do. You’ll start to trust yourself more and allow yourself to try different approaches to not only bring your team closer together but also achieve your group objectives.
Value Your Team Members
Intuition often comes from a place of knowing and familiarity, and it applies to yourself and your team members. That said, letting people play to their strengths while making sure they work on their weaknesses takes both intuition and creativity to pull off. That’s why becoming more familiar with your team members’ capabilities allows you to instinctively make more informed and balanced decisions.
Hence, you’ll want to get to know your team by bonding with them and setting aside time to speak to each member individually. By doing so, you will come to see why each one is equally important to your group. You’ll also know how to hone everyone’s capabilities and improve the team’s collective efforts.
Clear Your Mind and Focus
You cannot exercise your intuition if you are stressed out or distracted. It takes concentration to be able to hear and understand what your inner voice is saying. Because of this, emptying your mind is especially important if you need clarity before making a big decision.
Hence, take yourself out of chaotic situations so that you can have the space you need to be able to focus. If you have your own office, lock the door and focus on your situation for a few minutes by yourself. You can also step away and take a walk outside to clear your head.
Look at Creativity Differently
You don’t have to be an artistic person to be creative; all you have to do is create. Indeed, dreaming big and making it a reality is still a form of creativity and should be seen as such by society.
When you apply this to being a leader, being creative is about coming up with helpful solutions to different problems and finding ways to motivate and encourage your team. Making these your goals as a team leader is an excellent way to exercise your creativity in leadership.
Resist the Urge to Overthink and Make Everyone Happy
When you’re under pressure or faced with conflict, you often suppress your own emotions for the sake of others. You convince yourself that you’re being irrational and ignore the gut feeling you have that something is not right.
Though it’s good to keep the peace, you have to honour your thoughts and emotions as well. Remember: if you feel doubt about something, it is probably for a reason and no amount of deep thinking will make it go away. Acknowledge your misgivings without being dismissive and listen to your gut—it’s likely on to something.
Free Yourself from Expectations
To be fully creative, you need to let go of the pressure to constantly outdo yourself or always being the best at something. Otherwise, you may become anxious and controlling again, which is the last thing you want to be as a leader.
There is nothing wrong with striving to do better and improve. But when you or your team have set standards that have become impossible to achieve, you will get caught in a cycle of disappointment and self-doubt. It’s more important to be consistent and reliable than it is to be outstanding all of the time.
To be a good leader, you need to be equal parts intuitive and creative. If the world gets overwhelming, it helps to look within yourself, listen, and do what you feel is right. If you feel stuck, look for other solutions that will help bring you closer to your goal, such as consulting with a personal development coach. Be understanding and open with your team, but know when to put your foot down as well. It might take time to perfect this, but it will be worth it when you begin to feel content with your role in your team and your purpose in life.
Know how to start using your intuition and get in touch with Mary Jo today.
