Leaders Can Change the Weather

Sunny and Bright or Stormy and Cloudy

Every team, office, organization takes its cues from those who lead it.

    Can’t change the weather outside? 

   Perhaps you are in a position to change the “weather” inside.  Teams and extended organizations take their cues from those who provide leadership and reflect whatever the leaders are projecting.  If the leaders have a sunny and bright outlook, the organization is sunny and bright.  If the leaders’ outlook is stormy and cloudy, the weather in the office and amongst the team is pretty much the same.

While you may not have thought of the climate of your office it in terms of a weather forecast, still you’ve probably experienced this phenomenon from one end or the other. Most people who have been around teams and organizations for any amount of time have worked for a boss where the question on everyone’s mind was, “What kind of mood is he in today?” 

   It’s the same dynamic. Leaders control the weather.  So, if you’re a leader, it’s worth thinking about what kind of weather system you’re creating:  Warm front or cold front? Sunny and pleasant or stormy and blustery? 

   But more importantly, what kind of impacts do your weather systems have on the team’s results?
If you’re interested in becoming a more effective leadership meteorologist, here are a few things to pay attention to:

v     Your Energy Level:   What combination of factors do you need to radiate to create the environment for your team to create the results that are needed?

v     Your Choice of Words:  What kind of climate are you creating with your words?  Is that the kind of climate that will sustain long term results?

v     Your Visibility:  How visible you make yourself to the organization. Weather savvy leaders pay attention to their visibility.

v     Your Protective Cover:   What are you doing as a leader to let your team know that you’ve got their back?