The advantages of being a curious leader

Companies are constantly driven to improve and innovate in their search for unique angles of engagement and brand reputation. This, in turn, has the potential to increase their customer bases and, consequently, profits.

Image Source: www.vgroup.in

This, however, is not easy for most companies. The difficulty here lies in their focus: Most companies rely on the logical side of an idea in order to attempt at innovation. This approach has the unfortunate tendency of reducing their team to a bunch of emotionless, entirely logic-driven robots which blindly follow stimuli based on predefined conditions. The truth is that human beings are not like this; they are emotionally-driven beings who make decisions according to their whims.

Image Source: www.vapartners.ca

This emotional aspect is the key to innovation. This is also why a lot of newer companies are more likely to come up with innovative ideas. Young people generally have a more curious and excited view toward life. This curiosity is the perfect mix of logic and emotion, one that can naturally drive people to come up with new, progressive ideas and activations.

However, most corporate environments are not conducive to the curiosity that drives innovation. Older entrepreneurs, in particular, tend to exhibit less curiosity due to the numbing effects that years of workplace experience can give.

Image Source: www.egencia.ca

The key to fighting these numbing effects is to keep one’s emotional intelligence constantly developing. As a company grows, leaders in particular have to find ways to keep abreast of their employees’ and colleagues’ experiences in order to keep the innovative spirit alive, which can benefit the company in the long run.

Emile Haddad is a Seattle-based business coach who is the head of Catalyst Business Consulting, which specializes in keeping leaders on their innovative toes. Visit this LinkedIn page for more about his work.

Workplace detox: Overcoming workplace insanity

Image Source: youbeauty.com

The toxic culture of your workplace has a huge impact on your productivity and performance. Even if you’re not the direct target of aggressors, the fumes may get you and affect your health and morale. For managers, managing daily aggressions such as bullying, incompetence, hypocrisy, and dysfunctional relationships, is critical in maintaining positive leadership and outcomes. However, leaders know that controlling what other people say and do is beyond their control, so often the onus is on their employees to arm themselves against their negative environments.

Image Source: gracevanberkum.com

 
It’s imperative to address workplace insanity at all cost. If you’re stuck in an environment that drains you of your energy, you should, foremost, remind yourself that your environment is not a reflection of who you truly are. It’s important to segregate the negativity of the workplace from your individual reality—both as a person and as an employee, in order to shield yourself from the demoralizing effects of your surroundings and maintain your performance.

Image Source: sofeminine.co.uk

While it helps to cultivate positive relationships among your colleagues, finding and keeping valuable relationships can be a challenge. As you find and build good relationships, remember to focus on improving yourself, including your social and mental wellbeing so that you know how to protect yourself in case bad politics gets in the way. Never own up to other people’s behavior and direct your focus on the lessons you’ve learned from the experience. A moment of positive self-talk and detachment from your surroundings are as good as placing uplifting notes in your office or cubicle.


Emile Haddad is a principal consultant at Catalyst Business Coaching and Consulting, LLC, a Seattle-based business consulting firm that provides guidance and management tools for entrepreneurial success. Subscribe to this Twitter page for more links to informative sources on management and leadership.