Your Team is a Reflection of You

Your team is a reflection of you. Here’s why…

Our outer worlds are a reflection of our inner worlds. How we experience life is directly impacted by what is going on internally. Our mindset, our thoughts, beliefs, and values, create the lens through which we see the world, and how we see and interpret other people and their actions and behaviours.

This can be both a blessing and a curse because you could have a really healthy mindset, be an incredibly positive thinker, but not see the true reality of what’s going on out there with your team. On the flip side, you could feel worn down, weary, or carrying around other limiting beliefs that don’t serve you or your team and experience your team and the practice as something more negative, where things always go wrong.

Let’s make this real - if you are a perfectionist you could easily experience other people as not living up to your standards, or make it impossible for them to do so (since perfectionism is associated with unrelenting standards). You may think, “If you want something doing right, do it yourself.”, and unconsciously view your team as slightly incompetent, or lazy, simply because they do things slightly differently to you, but the perfectionism lens doesn’t let you see that different could be good.

On the other hand, if you have the belief that your team are great, that they are always doing their best, then you’re going to experience your team as people who are striving to do their best, and are great at what they do.

Guess which way is going to create a motivated, engaged, happy, and productive team?

Your perception changes when the lens through which you look at something changes.

Another way your team is a reflection of you is to do with your habits and behaviours. If you are an accountable leader, who is structured, and focused, and consistent, then it’s highly likely you will see accountability, structure, focus, and consistency reflected in your team. If you are not good at time keeping, get overwhelmed easily, or don’t prioritise self-care, it’s highly likely you will see this occurring in your team too.

A great example of this at play is a recent client of mine who was getting fed up with her team calling her for every little problem, despite saying, “Team, this time is ring-fenced for XYZ and I’m unavailable”. It was infuriating for her that they wouldn’t respect her boundaries. And then I asked the question, “Where in your life are YOU not respecting your own boundaries?”. Once she made that connection, everything changed. Miraculously, without doing anything else, her team began respecting her boundaries.

So, veterinary leader. Does your inner world need a good old health check?

It is invaluable to have someone who can show you what you can’t see yet; to unravel how you experience the world, and create shifts to open up new possibilities and opportunities that you never thought were possible before.

I do exactly that.

My name is Rachael, I am the founder of Simply Veterinary Coaching. I have been working with the veterinary profession for 9.5 years and specialise in professional and personal growth coaching for leaders in the veterinary profession. I am known for helping veterinary leaders take their self-awareness to a whole new level so when you are under that magnifying glass that leadership puts you under, nothing gets in the way of you creating a happy, inspired, productive team and a successful and highly regarded veterinary practice. The results you want to see from your team start with you. Leaders Grow First.