If you’ve successfully led a family WhatsApp group without anyone storming out or getting upset about petty matters- well done! — you are ready for worldwide leadership! Because honestly, leading people at home is tougher than leading them at work.
Leadership- a heavy word that invokes images of uniformed Generals roaring orders from mountaintops. Let’s face it- most of us are not scaling the Kargil heights, we are just trying not to burn the toast while juggling Zoom calls. At work, we are all driven by job titles, KPI’s, policies, goals and performance evaluations. At home, let’s say you are the CEO of ‘Commotion & Madness Solutions’ and “your team” simply disregards your instructions, roll their eyes at you, throw a tantrum, and still demand dinner by 8pm!
Leadership, whether at home or at workplace is not about designations or managing tasks or achievements – it’s about stewardship. It’s about caring for the ones who have been entrusted in our care. At work, it transforms you from a boss to a benevolent caretaker or a shepherd of a flock of sheep- some quirky, some innovative, some wandering and some laboring hard to follow you on a rocky VUCA path.
Let’s start at home- the family is the world’s oldest leadership laboratory where your patience is tested, emotional intelligence is refined and humility is – well… humiliated. We learn conflict resolution by negotiating with a 3yr old who doesn’t want to eat his veggies or collaboration by negotiating a holiday vacay with your teenager. That’s stewardship- holding them together, serving, guiding, mentoring and being there. Not because you have to but because you love them.
Now let’s take this to the workplace-ever tried delegating tasks like hot potatoes which has resulted into a mashed mess? Stewardship is about serving people, managing resources and time wisely, responsibly and with empathy and care. Servant leadership is about holding everyone together when chaos breaks loose. A true leader will always ask- how can I leave this place better than before? The family is not a project, neither are people at work, they are our priorities. Stewardship, just like our family, is about helping our teams reach their full potential by guiding, nurturing and mentoring them. And every time a leader genuinely invests in their people, they are crediting into their emotional bank account with trust. That’s the currency leaders need the most. Your team follows you not because they have to, but because they see integrity, consistency and a leader who cares about their higher purpose.
Whether you are leading a family of four or a team of fifty, you are just the steward- a caretaker on duty! Great parents and great leaders know that sometimes they have to put aside their pride and egos and pick up the mop. That’s serving with humility. Stewardship is all about progressing humbly. Taking every step with a servant -heart towards making people better, not bitter!
Author: Sarah Rukmini Augustine, Consultant-Learning & Organisation Development, is the Servant Leadership Evangelist at Leadyne. You can connect with her here, or contact her here.
Contents are intellectual property of Sarah Rukmini Augustine and Leadyne. Copying and using is prohibited under the copyright laws.
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