By 6 min read

How to be a Good Leader over the Holidays: Tips and Strategies

As we approach the end of the year, it’s important to take stock of the challenges we’ve faced and the achievements we’ve made. With the holiday season upon us, it can be difficult to balance work pressure and personal challenges. However, there are small, sustainable ways we can support our own wellbeing, lead our teams effectively, and celebrate our achievements.

In this two-part toolkit, we’ll explore actionable ways to make the most of this time and build steps to success for the new year. We’ll cover nurturing your strengths and upskilling, leading your teams, and celebrating your achievements. By implementing these small changes, we can end the year on a high note and set ourselves up for success in the new year.

Key Takeaways

  • Nurturing your strengths and upskilling is key to success.
  • Effective leadership is essential for team success.
  • Celebrating achievements is a great way to end the year on a high note.

Part 1: Developing Your Strengths and Self-Improvement

As leaders, we face many challenges and demands, and it’s important to prioritize our own wellbeing. Just like on a plane, we need to secure our own emotional oxygen masks before we’re able to help others. Managing mental health, including stress and mood, is a key priority. Research shows that better wellbeing helps us innovate and produce better results, and it also has a positive effect on the wellbeing of teams.

To support the mental health of our teams, it’s important to build our skills. Unfortunately, two-thirds of managers aren’t able to engage with the mental health of their teams. By taking training such as Unmind Manager Training, we can learn valuable skills around supporting our own health, connecting with others, and creating a culture where people can thrive.

Crafting our roles to our strengths is another important step in our development. With downtime over the holidays, it can be a great time to reflect on our roles and hopes for the future. Job crafting is the art of aligning our strengths, values, and passions with our roles to power our development and find our roles more rewarding. We can cultivate this by looking for opportunities to craft tasks, take on new challenges, and nurture relationships in areas we’re really interested in.

Here are some practical tips for nurturing your strengths and upskilling:

  • Prioritize your own wellbeing, including managing mental health.
  • Take training to develop skills around supporting your own health and creating a culture where people can thrive, such as Unmind Manager Training.
  • Reflect on your role and hopes for the future, and use downtime to job craft.
  • Look for opportunities to craft tasks, take on new challenges, and nurture relationships in areas you’re really interested in.

By prioritizing our own wellbeing, building our skills to support mental health, and crafting our roles to our strengths, we can set ourselves up for success and help our teams thrive.

Part 2: Leading Your People

During the festive season, it is important that we provide clarity to our teams on what changes are expected and how they can benefit from them. For instance, if some team members are taking time off, we should be clear that they can recharge and avoid checking their inboxes. This allows teams to focus on getting the most out of their break.

As a team, we should reflect on the year and recognise the valuable work that each team member has contributed. By sharing wins, gratitude, and recognising team contributions, we can help team members see their achievements in the wider context of the organisation’s goals and success. This can be a valuable way to nurture connections within the team.

We should also offer flexibility in work schedules where possible. This shows consideration for team members’ commitments and sensitivity to different cultural norms and celebrations. By offering this support, teams can feel empowered to do their best work when they can.

In summary, by providing clarity, reflecting as a team, and offering flexibility, we can support our teams during the festive season. This can help us maintain productivity and engagement, while also showing our team members that we value their contributions.

For more information on how you can develop as a leader and support you people with Kind Mind, book a call here.

Frequently Asked Questions

As leaders, we need to be flexible, adaptable, and empathetic during the holiday period. The key qualities that define a successful leader during the festive season include:

  • Good communication skills: Keeping the team informed about the holiday schedule, work priorities, and deadlines is crucial to ensure everyone is on the same page.
  • Time management: Balancing work responsibilities and holiday celebrations can be challenging, but as leaders, we need to set an example by managing our time effectively.
  • Empathy: The holiday season can be stressful for some team members, so it’s important to show empathy and support their needs.
  • Positive attitude: As leaders, we need to maintain a positive attitude and encourage our team to do the same.

As leaders, we need to find a balance between work responsibilities and holiday celebrations. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:

  • Plan ahead: Create a holiday schedule that includes work deadlines and holiday events.
  • Delegate tasks: Assign tasks to team members and trust them to complete them.
  • Prioritise: Focus on the most important tasks and delegate or postpone less important ones.
  • Set boundaries: Let team members know when you are available and when you are not.

As leaders, we need to inspire our team to be productive during the holiday season. Here are some ways to do this:

  • Set clear goals: Communicate clear goals and expectations to the team.
  • Provide support: Offer support and resources to help team members achieve their goals.
  • Celebrate successes: Recognize and celebrate team members’ achievements.
  • Encourage collaboration: Encourage team members to collaborate and support each other.

As leaders, we need to ensure our team feels appreciated and motivated during the holiday season. Here are some ways to do this:

  • Show appreciation: Thank team members for their hard work and contributions.
  • Offer flexibility: Be flexible with schedules and work arrangements where possible.
  • Provide incentives: Offer incentives such as bonuses or time off to motivate the team.
  • Celebrate together: Organise holiday events or activities to build team morale.

As leaders, we need to approach goal-setting for the new year strategically. Here are some tips to help you do this:

  • Reflect on the past year: Evaluate the team’s achievements and areas for improvement.
  • Set SMART goals: Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals.
  • Communicate goals: Communicate goals clearly to the team and involve them in the goal-setting process.
  • Monitor progress: Monitor progress regularly and provide feedback and support where needed.

As leaders, we need to manage stress and maintain our well-being during the holiday period. Here are some ways to do this:

  • Practice self-care: Take breaks, exercise, and get enough sleep to maintain your well-being.
  • Manage expectations: Set realistic expectations for yourself and your team.
  • Delegate tasks: Delegate tasks to team members and trust them to complete them.
  • Seek support: Reach out to colleagues, mentors, or coaches for support and advice.
Categories: Culture

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