Why Effective Leaders Step Back: Lessons from Cire’s Senior Leadership Day
In today’s fast-paced world, where productivity often takes centre stage, it’s easy for leaders to forget the importance of stepping back. But as the saying goes, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Taking time to reflect, connect, and grow isn’t just a luxury—it’s essential for effective leadership and building trust within teams.
At Cire’s recent Senior Leadership Day, our senior staff came together to do just that. Through laughter, learning, and a little bit of improvisation, we discovered how taking a step back can unlock new levels of leadership potential.
Connection: Building Bridges Across Teams
Our day began with an interactive game show hosted by Zac and Tiarne from The Great Race. With tables mixing staff from all over the organisation, staff were quick to find each other’s areas of knowledge – and performing talent – to score points.
By the end of the session, the appreciation for each other had grown through the team activity. Was it a coincidence that each table included a healthy balance of competitive and easygoing people? Unlikely, but it did show that a diverse team ultimately has more fun and capability to deliver an organisation’s vision.
Listening: The Power Of Encouragement
How often do we truly listen to our colleagues without planning our response? Katherine and Rik from Impro Melbourne challenged us to break this habit through engaging improvisation exercises.
Do we listen to the start of a problem, and form a solution in our minds? Is that the only solution? Effective leadership is about listening to your colleague, because they might have some ideas that could improve yours.
The simple “Yes! Tell me more,” will do more for their engagement than jumping in with your initial idea. Spirits lift, minds open, and trust is built, leading to collaborative relationships and team empowerment.
Fun Failure: Leadership Is Learning Through Laughter
Failure is inevitable—but it doesn’t have to be feared. Trying to remember to support others, think of the answer to a question, plan a meeting and express our active listening through body language all at the same time is a recipe for anxiety.
Yet this is what our leaders are doing most of the time, and more. So how do they develop the skill to remain on task and available for the huddles that inevitably run for longer than the promised “just two minutes”?
The answer is to fail at it. Many times. Impro Melbourne’s session taught us to embrace failure as a stepping stone to growth. Through a deceptively simple exercise—telling a story one word at a time—we learned to laugh at our missteps, regroup, and try again.
Cheers from the teams at each ‘failure’ bolstered us all. Leaders who embrace failure as part of their growth mindset inspire resilience and collaboration within their teams.
The Takeaway: Let Your Team Shine
Effective leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about creating space for others to thrive. By stepping back, listening, and embracing the occasional stumble, leaders can build stronger, more collaborative teams.
So, what can you do to truly connect with your team? Take a moment to reflect, relax, and let your people shine. You might just discover new talents—and become a better leader in the process.
Cire’s Senior Leadership Day empowers our leaders to foster a collaborative and supportive workplace culture. Want to be part of a team that values growth and connection? Check out our job opportunities and join the Cire team today.
