A balanced and grounded character is pivotal for healthy leadership

I’ve truly enjoyed being a part of the Housing LIN’s Future Leaders’ programme and appreciate the chance to learn about what makes a good leader, from a number of different speakers.

On reflection, the speaker that most resonated with me was Dan Lyus (Director of Partnerships at South West Academic Health Science Network); his honesty and openness to share his perspectives on previous setbacks and learning was refreshing because it highlighted that afterwards it’s always possible to grow. Dan’s take on leadership around ‘giving up your power to others’ resonated on a personal level, because it brings a sense of purpose to redirect the benefits of any power/privileges we experience in life to the people most pivotal to us, and to others that don’t experience such privilege and opportunity.

Another guest contributor, Caroline Bernard’s (Head of Influence at Respect) emphasis on why empathy is a strength and not a weakness as well as ensuring that you’re not over-empathising hit home because it takes the pressure off to over-provide or feel / ‘feel for’ everyone and everything. Striking the balance between empathy and kindness, and self-trust and boundaries is a key take-away, and I’m grateful to hear a leader say that empathy is a strength, especially when it’s mislabelled as “weak”.

Ella Moonan-Howard, Senior Innovator at the Alzheimer's Society, and her idea about self-leadership also struck a chord as it reframed leadership as a self-directed pursuit rather than a management-orientated focus, which I see being applicable in other areas of our lives outside the workplace. Questions that came up for me were, “how to balance and compliment:

• initiative-taking and backing the leadership of others,
• self-authority along with humility to listen to advice/feedback
• a healthily competitive personal/professional drive alongside collaborative intention and action.”

An example of someone outside the workplace that I found inspiring due to a balance of a healthy competitive edge and humility, is seen in Tom Hardy, who quietly entered a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition in Milton Keynes last year (opens new window) and won all his bouts. His attitude to entering the competition, without public announcement, such that people were unsure if it was actually him competing, is something unseen - a quiet, grounded confidence that’s backed by skill and knowledge. His ‘down-to-earth-ness’ and kindness combined with a channelled drive is legendary; knowing when to turn your competitive nature ‘on’ and, equally importantly, ‘off’, to me, is a winning character trait – both on and off the mat.

Thanks very much to Suzanne, Jeremy, Sally at the Housing LIN, all of the other future leaders and the speakers for an enjoyable programme.

---

Darius' blog is one of 7 from the 2nd cohort of the Housing LIN’s Future Leaders’ Programme that we are publishing in the lead up to our virtual Summit – A Festival of Ideas and the virtual session on Tuesday, 28 February 2023 (2.30pm-pm-4pm). Register now for Inspiring young talent: investing in our future housing and care leaders

Find out more about Housing LIN’s Future Leaders’ Programme and read the other blogs once published.