What To Do About the Elephant in Your Private Room

"I love my job. . . well, except for the people part," he said when asked how the job was going.

I was taken aback because I could vividly recall having the same thought when I served in a leadership position for a public sector organization. I loved solving problems for our clients and fully believed in our mission. It was the leading people part with which I grappled.

My thoughts and internal wranglings felt like a private version of the "elephant in the room". I had been trusted to lead a team of people to carry out the organization's mission and, yet, I struggled. I struggled in silence afraid to ask for help - not knowing exactly what kind of help I needed and quietly observing the impact I was having on the team. 

Does this ring true for you?

Do you love the clients you serve?

Are you passionate about the mission of your organization?

Are you in a leadership role in the nonprofit or public sector in which you feel less than passionate about your people stewardship role? And, if so, how might this be impacting the service your organization delivers?

Let's start by naming the elephant in your room. The elephant in your room is CONFIDENCE or, more specifically, lack of CONFIDENCE.  As Francisco Dao says in this article, "self-confidence is the fundamental basis from which leadership grows". 

What Dao's saying is that CONFIDENCE is the foundation for effective leadership. And just as with building a house, the house cannot be built without a foundation. And the foundation must come first.

Here's the thing about CONFIDENCE. There is no magic pill; no perfect path; no quick fix.

Building CONFIDENCE requires:
1. Being honest with yourself
2. Adopting a plan
3. Embracing opportunities to practice
4. Reflection and adjustment
5. More practice

In my experience as a leader and a coach, there are 6 Pillars that, when mastered, form a solid foundation for confident and effective leadership. These are what I call the 6 Pillars of Passionate Leadership.  

Pillar 1 - Deep Appreciation for Self and Others
Pillar 2 - Positive Growth Mindset
Pillar 3 - Dynamic Vision Focus
Pillar 4 - Embodied Trust
Pillar 5 - Inspired Action
Pillar 6 - Celebrated Results

Click here to see a description of each Pillar.

I developed the concept of Passionate Leadership while serving as the Board President along side a nonprofit CEO who, over 40 years, has perfected the art of confident and effective leadership. She is equally as passionate about her organization's purpose as she is about leading the people in service of the organization's clients. And people includes staff, volunteers, donors, board members and policy makers. The result is Maximum Impact for the population served and for the community.

Click here to see the Power of Passionate Leadership model.

Passion and Leadership may seem daunting to you. Especially if your private "Elephant in the Room" is metaphorically ambushing you.

But what if . . .

You expose the elephant for what it is . . . A big, fat sign pointing directly toward your next step. 

You muster the courage to speak up and . . . Ask for what you need.

You embrace the opportunity to . . . Build a strong foundation from which you can lead with both confidence and passion.

Will you do it?

Even if you've officially been in your leadership role for years?
(Sometimes it takes time to become fully aware of the elephant in your private room.)

Imagine shrinking that elephant to a manageable size. How would you feel? What would you do differently? What results would you and your organization get to celebrate?

You can do it.

You and those you lead deserve to have the elephant in your room called out and addressed.  

Want to acknowledge the elephant in a safe and confidential manner? Click below to schedule a time to chat.

_______________________

Passionate Leadership
is who you're being as you're leading.

About the Author

Gayle Ely is a Leadership Coach, Trainer and Facilitator and founder of Total Life Leadership. At Total Life Leadership, we partner with purpose-driven non-profit leaders and service entrepreneurs to help them answer the question “How Do I Become a Better Leader?”

Using The Six Pillars of Passionate Leadership, we equip leaders to be the best they can be.  The result is a passionate leader whose team and organization are operating for maximum impact.

Explore what’s getting in the way of passion in your leadership. Schedule an exploratory conversation. There is no cost and lots of value.

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View The Six Pillars of Passionate Leadership here.
View The Power of Passionate Leadership Model here.