Last week I wrote about how to bring your messy to work.
Looks like the idea hit home!
Here are some of the responses I received:
- “Messy is where magic is born!”
- “I love the reminder that what helped us be engaged in our work was doing it in the midst of the undeniable realities in which we all live. Do you remember the old advice women used to receive of – ‘Leave your home life at home and don’t talk about your spouse or children at work?’ I hope we all remember that we do better when we connect as our fully messy selves.”
- “Let’s not forget our full selves are messy. And that’s okay!”
- “Yes, a tragic time in nearly all ways, but the silver linings are the time we had and the lessons we learned that we can’t forget!”
- “It’s interesting how the messy, human side of work became a strength during that time. Definitely something worth keeping in mind moving forward.”
So, how do we become a Great Human Leader who leads with the “right” amount of messy?
Having interviewed hundreds of leaders—before, during, and after the pandemic—three kinds of leaders have emerged. Yes, these are generalizations, but hear me out. And then see which kind of leader you are.
1. The “It’s All Good” Leader.
Also known as the anything goes, no worries leader, or simply as someone who leads without intention. This leader plans meetings without purpose, might have employees in the office IRL, but at the same time will have employees calling into meetings from down the hall. In addition to not leading with purpose, this leader is typically missing protocols that help guide how, where, and why employees connect. Employees with this type of a leader might have flexibility, but at best, they don’t feel connected to their manager or the organization. And at worst, they’re overwhelmed and stressed out.
2. The “Perfect” Leader.
This leader, also referred to as a Robot-Leader or, perhaps more kindly, The Over-Engineered Leader emerged more during and after the pandemic in response to not having employees in person. This leader creates handbooks, scripts, and thick binders for how to handle almost any situation asynchronously. Instead of responding as a human, this leader defers to the employee handbook to ensure they follow the book. Employees with this type of leader can work asynchronously and have a lot of information at their fingertips (almost too much), but they often don’t feel connected to purpose or meaning at work. Which makes them feel lonely and isolated.
3. The Great Human Leader.
This leader is known as The Leader with the Right Amount of Messy. This leader is willing to be vulnerable and not pretend that all of the answers are in a handbook. This leader strives to be empathetic and approach employees as humans. This leader puts a lot of energy and effort into finding the sweet spot between tech and connect—leveraging it for its greatness and also putting it in its place. And finally, this leader leads through the lens of experimentation. If at first they don’t succeed, they will try, try, try something else. And here’s the thing: Employees with great human leaders (aka, those who feel trusted and supported by their manager) “are 3.4 times more engaged.”
So…which leader are you? Or if you’re an individual contributor, which kind of leader is your manager? I think most would agree being or working for a Great Human Leader is the way to go!
Which is why next week, we’ll talk about how to get there.
3/11/25
