What is nourishing leadership, and why does it matter?
There are many characterizations of good leadership, like advocates who insist it is represented by behaviors that are consistent and others who say it is characterized by flexibility. Some argue leadership is effective when delegation is quite specific and concrete, and others say it is more motivational when it is general and purpose-driven.
These distinctions can bring about some valuable explorations. Sometimes, it is useful to explore what is universal about leadership, and what I like about the label “nourishing leadership” is that it is not commonly used. It doesn’t have a polarity — there are no right or wrong characteristics of it. It’s hard to argue with something that fosters health and growth.
What is health and growth in a leadership context? To have leaders, there must be followers willing to apply themselves to the goals defined by leaders. Then, interactions and a community context (culture) need to foster health and growth.
The recent news story of a Thai soccer team trapped in a cave highlights a range of nourishing interactions. The team literally lacked food, and yet they were nourished by their coach in the form of meditation and emotional support. It proved to be a way to keep the young adolescents calmer, which enabled them to explore possible escape routes in small groups. Most of us are not literally facing life and death in our jobs, but some do feel trapped. We all need conditions and experiences that are nourishing.
In a merger situation, the nourishment may be clarity of message or frequent and specific communication. Following a layoff, the nourishment may be reassurance about the value of individual contributions, or a frank understanding of future risks and possibilities.
Nourishing leadership ensures a healthy orientation towards growth. In today’s workplace, employees expect and even demand growth opportunities as well as learning and recognition.
This doesn’t mean a leader has to get every interaction perfectly correct. Similar to physical nourishment, we sometimes binge on appealing snacks, even if they are empty calories. We occasionally eat meals that aren’t personally satisfying or meals in which the ingredients are slightly off. In leadership, delegating certain tasks may not be perfectly gratifying. But if the overall opportunity, relationship and environment are, then there is organic growth for individuals and the organization.
A nourishing environment provides clear expectations, known goals and colleagues who are responsible, interesting and fun. And yes, it requires accountability so that groups feel everyone is contributing.
Appreciation
Thinking about nourishing leadership in this way, I was delighted to have an opportunity to discuss these ideas with Chef Rob Evans, president of Duckfat Restaurant in Portland, Maine. He is involved both in the metaphoric version of nourishing leadership as well as the literal. His restaurant, co-owned with his wife, Nancy, is so popular that some customers wait in line for hours. But the servers make up for that with a warm welcome and attentive service.
In an industry notorious for high turnover, I wondered how Evans could create the conditions for staff to feel appreciated enough that they could greet the tired and hungry with grace and good cheer.
Evans is intentional in the nourishing culture he strives to create. He hires and selects people with a positive outlook. Open communication is encouraged upon staff — required even. As these guidelines become the norm, feedback progresses from what went wrong to more inspired appreciation of what went well, and then prevention of problems through process improvement.
Most types of businesses have tension between departments, whether that’s manufacturing and sales or finance and operations. In Evans’ business, it is front of the house (servers) and back of the house (cooks). The cooks are unsung heroes, out of sight of the customers, yet viewed as providing the nourishment so essential to the popularity of the restaurant. Being able to bridge that divide is an essential element of nourishing leadership.
Sharing Credit
A key way to bridge the cultural divide between departments and maintain a cohesive, nourishing culture is to share in the triumphs and setbacks. Appreciation and recognition are key elements. Teams can be taught to appreciate others, and leaders can role model this. Some leaders hold back recognition for fear of playing favorites, but when the light is shining on the positive outcomes visible to all, employees generally can share the pride.
Another reason leaders hold back from recognition is that sometimes a staff member takes credit when it deserves to be shared. That tendency can be mitigated when a sense of the group as a whole is baked into the culture, as no one person in an organization is successful without the cooperation and input of others. In Evans’ restaurant, tips are shared with cooks.
Restaurants are a perfect backdrop to explore nourishing leaders. Whether it’s electronic chips, medical devices or plastic extrusion, many aspects of nourishing leadership translate across industries.
Expectations
Interest in leadership education continues to grow. Attitudes towards satisfying work become more refined as employees seek an appealing culture, meaningful work and opportunities for growth. But just as there is no one cookbook that will satisfy us all, there is no one leadership approach that will satisfy everyone. The more educated we are, the more we can identify our own preferences.
There are many ways to produce an outstanding result, but we can all agree that we should start with quality ingredients. Similarly, leadership personality styles and communication may vary, as long as the overall experience is nourishing.
Originally appeared in Forbes online 08 14 18