Keeping it Real
Can you pull this off?
This can be a tough thing for managers, and it amounts to having a certain credibility in the work you do each and every day, with reliable constancy. We can ‘step up’ when we need to, when we have a solid foundation to launch from.
Our people expect realistic balance from us, not head-in-the-clouds encouragements that are unreachable, and possibly unreasonable. Small, but consistent wins are the very best ones: Managing: Be a Big Fan of the Small Win.
It’s something my son describes as “Keeping it Real.” But make no mistake about it: Positive thinking is indeed leadership.
Are you the person others will instinctively look to for guidance and reassurance when things go awry?
What we have to do, as Alaka‘i managers, is work within our values each and every day, creating our foundational credibility, and our reliability: Values drive the behaviors which align with what we authentically believe in.
To do so, we focus on our Ho‘ohana – our intentional, and most worthwhile work, and on ‘Imi ola – our vision for that work, realistic within and for our “best possible life.”
We clothe ourselves in Ho‘ohanohano as our demeanor of respect and self-respect, as we equip ourselves with Mālama, constantly caring for and about those whom our actions may affect, and keeping our mutually-held best interests in mind.
Those are the 5 values I think of most readily for my guidance when I get challenged, knowing I want to stand tall, yet keep it real: Alaka‘i, Ho‘ohana, ‘Imi ola, Ho‘ohanohano, and Mālama.
Which would you choose, knowing all have their roots in Aloha? :: The 19 Values of Aloha.
If you feel a certain situation challenges you, choose a value to focus within. The only thing ‘naive’ in feigned positivity or wishful thinking, is ignoring those values, for I guarantee you they’ll be in play for everyone else as what they expect from you.
There are several articles here in the archives tagged with positive expectancy: Might it be time for a helpful review? Here are a few suggestions:
Palena ‘ole Positivity is Hō‘imi— look for it
Ka lā hiki ola and Leadership: A Sense of Hope
Great Managers Start Great: An ALOHA Rite of Passage
The Opportunity to Reset
Be Brave in Setting Your Limits
Ka lā hiki ola, “the dawning of a new day.”
