(Expansion) – There are many definitions of what it means to be a leader. One of the main characteristics of these characters is that they have an ability to influence that is accepted by other people.
This is a fundamental element: leadership must be recognized by those who are led. The dynamics of a leader require that mirror to work because being a leader is a two-way street.
As cliché as it sounds, teams lead by example. A good leader presents himself as an aspirational mirror: the habits that he cares for and privileges will be those that, on the one hand, will give him authority to guide his collaborators and, on the other, are qualities that his teams will see in order to aspire to replicate them. .
Good habits are often seen as restrictions, but they actually have the potential to endow those who cultivate them with freedom; In addition, they serve as the foundation to enhance their creativity, their growth and their abilities.
Habits: cornerstone of leadership
“Habits give freedom” is a phrase that is not mine, but I love it. The idea comes from Daniel Marcos, founder and president of the Growth Institute, as well as author James Clear, who exhaustively developed in his book Atomic Habits , scientific —but simple— methods for developing habits in the daily routine of any person.
Freedom and habits are not concepts that we see related very often, but right there we find the key to the matter. The daily routine, as strange as it may seem, can be the cornerstone of liberation. I explain: by entering processes that already have a daily structure, a person’s mind is clear enough to be able to think and resolve. Thanks to routines we have a free mind to think about other things.
Let’s look at it from the opposite perspective: when a person does not have habits and routines in his life, he uses his energy and thoughts to do anything: eat well, brush his teeth, organize his schedule, etc. In this way, you lose time and have mental exhaustion to dedicate it to other things that require your total concentration.
In short, proper time management gives freedom. Scheduled and well-structured routines avoid stress and worry, they offer the mind the possibility of running wild in what is truly worthwhile: create, build, solve and enjoy.
With great power comes great responsibility
Habits and the freedom that comes from them give anyone great power. As Uncle Ben told Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibility.” A leader must take care of his habits, since he is the one who nurtures and cultivates the organizational climate and culture of his company, as well as being an example and a reference for his collaborators.
And if we talk about the leadership of a company, it is not only about taking care of habits such as punctuality, organization or productivity. A leader must also have good personal habits to encourage and motivate their collaborators.
Eating properly, exercising, regularly visiting the doctor, for example, are some habits that show that the leader is capable of taking care of himself, therefore, also of his team.
In the same sense, if the leadership of a company also has habits of personal growth – that the leaders continue to prepare themselves continuously, that they study, that they read – the collaborators will also want to be part of that organizational climate and culture: seeking to push their own limits and wanting to develop at all times.
At the end of the day, cultivating habits makes people take individual and collective responsibility. Habits give us the freedom to know what to do.
And great leaders have also learned from the habits of other great leaders. Who do you admire and what habits does that person have so that you also integrate them into your life?
It all starts with something as simple as building good habits, and leaders are there to set the first and foremost example.
Editor’s note: Saskia de Winter is a founding partner and CEO of Saskia de Winter Training. Follow her on . The opinions published in this column belong exclusively to the author.
