Thinking FocusThinking Focus
+44 (0) 333 939 8606
hello@thinkingfocus.com
  • Home
  • Philosophy
    • Our Philosophy
    • The Thinking Model
    • The Actions Model
    • The Results Model
    • Transition
  • Solutions
    • Our Focus Areas
    • Productivity
    • Continuous Improvement
    • Leadership Thinking
    • Culture
    • Enabling Change
    • How we do it
  • Results
    • Results overview
    • Leadership Case Study
    • Productivity Case Study
    • CI Case Study
  • WWYD
  • About us
    • Our Story
    • Meet Ricky
    • Meet Richard
    • Meet Rob
    • Meet Paul
    • Our influences
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
Leadership Shadow

How to make your team more productive: Start with your shadow

Posted On October 5, 2018 By Paul Hutchinson In Productivity /  9

Productivity is one of the key issues encountered by organisations of all sizes, and it’s often one of the most misunderstood, especially by managers. Many leaders look at their teams and at the skills and experience within them, and are baffled that their productivity isn’t greater.

But what they’re failing to look at is closer to home: themselves.

As a manager, the first step towards making your team more productive is to lead by example. Your team’s productivity starts with you. This is why, when we work with an organisation on any productivity issue, more often than not we start with the leaders.

You may not be aware of it, but you are the main influence on your team. And we don’t mean in the sense of giving orders or targets. We’re talking about how your behaviour, attitude and work ethic is noticed and adopted by your people. There’s a saying that your staff leave at the end of the day with the same mood that you walked in with in the morning, and this is often true.

This concept of the unconscious influence of a manager is known as ‘The Shadow of the Leader’ which, as the name suggests, relates to the influence – for better or worse – of the leader on their team. People absorb their leader’s values, and tend to mirror their leader’s behaviour. On a wider level, a leader’s shadow may be cast so wide that it affects the culture of an entire organisation.

Your leadership shadow reflects everything you say and do. Whether you intend it or not, you cast your shadow over your team. Your people will, either consciously or subconsciously, take clues from you about their behaviour, values, motivation and work ethic. They will mirror what you do and say, and how you react to situations.

So, as a leader, ask yourself: Are you aware of the shadow you cast over your team? Is this shadow a positive or negative one? Are you displaying the behaviours that you would expect see from your people?

Tweet
Tags:
Leadership ShadowproductivityShadow of the Leader
Thinking Focus shortlisted in Learning Awards
Why a growth mindset is key to productivity

Categories

  • Change
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Culture
  • Leadership
  • Podcasts
  • Productivity
  • Resilience
  • Sales Mindset
  • Uncategorized

Popular Posts

  • How can I (and my team) become more resilient? February 17, 2021
  • Why does this lockdown feel harder? February 4, 2021
  • Are we learning from the best role models? February 1, 2021
  • Why do I feel like I am failing? January 20, 2021
  • It’s time to face the facts – you need to focus on your managers. January 18, 2021

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • June 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
© 2018 Thinking Focus Limited
All rights reserved.

Registered in England. Company Number 10151972
20-22 Wenlock Road, London. N1 7GU    +44 (0)333 939 8606
  • Privacy Policy