Halloween may be over, but the holiday reminds me of the monsters we can all become as leaders. It is never intentional; none of us wants to embody monster leadership. That said, sometimes, we can’t avoid it. We can, however, be aware of the tricks that the different personas of monster leadership play on all of us, and the ways to treat those personas so we don’t live in the monster leadership realm for too long.
Ghost
All of us have served as ghosts at some point in our leadership lives. Monster leadership through the ghost lens means that we tend to be invisible, unreachable and unavailable for those who need us, and often when they need us most. These tricks make those we serve feel that we are detached and disinterested, and at worst, that we don’t even acknowledge their existence. While we rarely cause direct harm when we adopt the ghost persona, we often cause indirect harm; no one ever wants to feel ignored, unseen, or unheard. We can treat the ghost persona fairly easily. Through self-care as simple as daily positive affirmations, we can put ourselves in a state where we recognize our own value and see the value that all provide. This realization can often be enough to help us truly see others, want to engage with those around us, and put us in a better space to be seen and be present.
Frankenstein’s monster
Lacking clarity or the ability to get one’s point across. Ambling around from place to place. Causing anxiety by our actions, which may simply be misunderstood. These are all tricks that we play on others (and ourselves) when we serve as Frankenstein’s monster. When we take on this persona, we are not acting with malice. Instead, people often don’t understand the rationale behind what we’re doing, and our words and actions are frequently misinterpreted as something they are not. Avoiding the tricks of Frankenstein’s monster requires us to reflect carefully on ideas, questions, and concerns, and to take the time we need in order to make proper decisions (and include those who the decisions will most likely impact). In this way, we don’t simply stumble through leadership. Instead, we take targeted and focused steps in response to whatever we encounter.
Dracula
None of us would consider ourselves blood-sucking leaders; however, there are times when we rely too heavily on others or take on the work of others to support our own needs. Relationships require give and take, of course; however, when monster leadership overcomes us, and we take on the role of Dracula, we suck the energy from others by disempowering them or diminishing their contributions. Reminding ourselves of the importance of humility and distributed leadership enables us to set aside the tricks associated with this persona and treat those we serve with the respect and appreciation they deserve. When our Dracula personas are vanquished, everyone’s contributions are valued and broadcast, and we create cultures and communities built on contribution and collaboration.
Werewolf
Sometimes we can’t help shapeshifting. We are put into situations where we feel as if we need to act like someone we are not. Being inauthentic rarely helps us in the long run; we never want to develop a reputation as being anything other than who we really are. Yet when we act like the werewolf, that is exactly what happens. We become different around certain people or in certain situations. And that is never a good thing. Treating this persona requires us to remember that while we should always want to meet people where they are, that never means we need to stop being who we are. We can be open, honest, polite and caring, and we will always be respected for being ourselves, even if others don’t like the answers we give or the approach we take. In short, if we act with integrity and authenticity, then even if we make a wrong decision, at least we have done so as the people we truly are.
We can’t avoid being overtaken by monster leadership from time to time. We can, however, remember that those monster personas don’t define who we are or why we lead. When we feel the monster taking over, we have to recognize its existence and move from trick to treat. A key part of humanity is realizing that acknowledging the monster makes us better at recognizing when we’ve vanquished it and, therefore, makes us better prepared to effectively learn and lead.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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