The new age parenting is all about experimenting and letting the child learn from her mistakes. Mistakes is not a taboo word. It’s considered absolutely fine to err. To err is human. So, for someone who has this mind-set, how does the adjustment in the corporate world pan out?
Rhea is a smart working professional, who has grown up the corporate ladder pretty fast. She is all that you could ask for in an employee- intelligent, hardworking, and prompt and a perfect team player. However, there have been multiple instances when even she committed mistakes. Those mistakes, were smartly managed/covered by her and her bosses. She has always been her boss’s favourite and hence she grew up not worrying about these small mistakes too much.
Now, she has moved to a leadership position, she is a CXO now. The breadth and depth of her team scares her at times, but since she is a smart girl, she is confident of turning around things. Except that, mistakes happen. And mistakes at her level have damaging effects. At this position, she also doesn’t have time to learn through her mistakes. She is on the crossroads right now. The heavy expectations of her seniors, who have trusted her with this job; the scrutiny of her juniors who are always looking at her with questioning eyes and the stress to match up to the superb work her peers’ are doing.
Small mistakes are fine, often ignored. But the problem is at that level, there is nothing called a small mistake. The definition of small v/s big mistake is so bleak, in fact missing. The impact is always high of every small step taken and hence the same small innocuous act that would have earlier passed on with a smile can now be job-threatening.
It is the harsh reality of being a leader.
A classic management case study. What solutions can you offer Rhea? Coaching? Mentoring? Tighter Self-Management skills?
It’s lonely at the top, is a common saying. But what’s also true is that you are not alone!
These moments of self-doubts, of being worried about taking a wrong step, of not moving as fast as you are being expected to, of comparing yourself with other CXOs is a common sentiment, not only across your floor, but also across other companies and geographies.
Just a few days back, Harvard Business Review (HBR) carried a report on how Great Leaders Know They’re Not Perfect. Read Here, if you are interested.
There are many such reports being published and reported in various reputed journals. All pointing to the fact, that you are not alone when it comes performance stress at top jobs. However, acknowledging that the problem is not unique, is just one step. That doesn’t guarantee you from being pardoned off for committing such mistakes.
What it does tell you that there are ways leaders deal with this problem. It is a known fact that humans will do mistakes. An error of judgement, an error of understanding, an error of execution, an error in expressing, an error in reporting. It can all happen by even the highest authority possible. Stressing about it won’t give solutions.
Accepting it as part of life and then being able to work around things with this as a constant is the art that leaders need to develop.
Sadly, most of the leaders only strive towards being the perfect machine, the one that is Six Sigma compliant.
And the constant struggle of a dog wanting to catch its own tail continues!
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