Leaders who inspire you to be your best self

Can you recall a leader or leaders who brought out the best in you?

What was it about them that helped you to feel at ease in their presence? What was it about them that helped you to be your authentic self? To bring out your best, to demonstrate your strengths, to shine?

I can recall a handful of leaders who had this affect on me; what they all had in common was their trustworthiness. There was a confidence in their integrity, their authenticity, and there was a trustworthiness in their staff. They held a strong belief in the capacity for their teams to learn and grow, to make a difference, to add value. They always let their staff know they were appreciated, they always treated others with dignity and respect. They created psychological safety in the workplace culture and were not afraid to call out behaviour that compromised that safety.

These leaders were exceptional, they were courageous, they were genuinely interested in people and when they asked, "how are you?" they stuck around to listen for the answer. They genuinely cared.

These leaders had your back when things got tough, they challenged you to step up to your full potential. They worked towards the higher good of all.

Leaders who bring out the best in others are not afraid of apologising when they get it wrong, they set an example as lifelong learners, not pretending to be the smartest person in the room but genuinely asking for advice and input from others.

I think of one of my leaders who as CEO sought to have reverse mentoring, to learn from staff on the ground, to acknowledge that the further away from the coalface the more you get told what you want to hear and she actively worked to encourage honesty, the perspective of staff and customers/clients, and to take an active learning approach that was not afraid of saying, "I don't know the answer".

I think of the leader who repeatedly reminded us that there were no lone rangers or hero's in the workplace, that to go far, we go together, we need to hear the diversity of perspectives, to explore the possibilities that come from a "beginners mind" and to welcome the difficult conversations, the "elephants in the room" and not be afraid of robust debate in the pursuit of being our best selves or producing the greatest outcome for a client or project.

I have always kept these leaders in mind as my compass on how to lead others. They set the bar for how I want to show up in the workplace, and how I coach other leaders to lead.

What the workplace and world needs right now is this kind of human leadership. The Jacinda Adern's of the world are few and far between but don't we need them more than ever.

Leadership fundamentally is about leading human beings. People are not transactions or assets but complex living, breathing, feeling beings who thrive in community and in contexts of psychological safety.

Leaders who bring out the best in me are leaders who know in their bones that what matters most is people and the culture we together create.

What kind of leader brings out the best in you? And how does your presence as a leader bring out the best in others?