Looking out my window, it’s raining, dark and gloomy. It’s not my favourite weather at all and it influences my mood and motivation. I really have to make a concerted effort to do things when the weather is like this. In contrast, when the sun is shining my motivation levels are much better and my mood brighter.
It’s similar to how we feel in a workplace except the difference is that the leader brings the weather.
Have you ever walked into an environment and you get the feeling that you could cut the air with a knife there is so much tension? Heads are down, conversation is minimal and the stress levels seem high. You don’t have to look very far to establish where the tension is emanating from. Nine times out of ten it’s from the leader.
The vibe or the atmosphere of the workplace will be dependant on the mood of the leader. Your mood will influence how your workplace and your people feel. This is why it’s so important to be self-aware of how you are impacting on others. The weather you bring into the workplace will either support or detract from productivity, creativity, wellbeing, communication and overall performance.
In saying that, you are the only one who can control your weather forecast – and you can control it. You have the power to determine what the state of the weather will be in your workplace and for those around you. This comes down to be conscious of who you want to be as a leader. Do you want to be known as the one who walks around with a black cloud around them? Or someone who emanates rays of sunshine? Or who holds an umbrella up for others when the rain is tumbling down so they don’t get wet? You have that choice.
As we get frustrated when the meteorologists get it wrong, it can be frustrating for your team and those around you to be experiencing the unpredictability of your weather too. One day it’s sunny, the next day it’s raining, or you could get all four seasons in one day, which is very hard to deal with. It’s very frustrating to be dealing with a moody leader and it can be very unsettling.
Determine your weather as a leader and role model. Unlike the weather forecasters, you have complete control over this – choose wisely.