Managing Your Team and Leading by Example
As a Spiritual, you tend to look for the good in everyone and everything — which is wonderful for your team. That said, keep in mind that forecasting doomsday scenarios will help you prep for tough meetings; that inevitable office tensions can be eased with face-to-face conversations; and that your “to do” list should include looking for the good in yourself.
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Those who are spiritually minded tend to spend more time thinking about the best thing that might happen, or that everything happens for a reason. While both these viewpoints have value, prepping yourself, and your team, for the worst-case scenario before big meetings or presentations ensures that you will meet challengers with beatific smiles.
Regardless of how enlightened everyone is, there are inevitably times when tensions and misunderstandings occur between you and your team. In these moments, remember St. Augustine’s advice, “Solvitor ambulando” — it is solved by walking. Don’t use email to problem-solve. Get up, go find your team member, figure it out — and make this your policy office-wide.
Swami Kripalvananda says, “My beloved child, break your heart no longer. Each time you judge yourself you break your own heart.” Being the boss of others is difficult, and there will be days when things don’t go as planned. But judging yourself harshly doesn’t benefit your team — or you. Better to turn it over and try again tomorrow.
