Episode 45: Friendly vs Friends: What’s the Difference for Leaders?

Episode 45: Friendly vs Friends: What’s the Difference for Leaders?Can you be warm, approachable and genuinely care about your team without becoming friends with them?Absolutely.In this episode of Not Another PD, I’m talking about the difference between being friendly with your team and actually being friends with your team, and why that distinction becomes particularly important when you’re responsible for supervising and leading others.Because you can have a laugh with your team, know what’s important to them, celebrate milestones, check in when things are difficult and genuinely enjoy working together, while still maintaining clear professional boundaries.We unpack together in our chat:What friendly vs friends can actually look like in the workplaceWhy the power imbalance between a leader and their team mattersWhat can happen when you suddenly find yourself supervising former peersSocialising with team members and actual or perceived favouritismAppropriate self-disclosure versus oversharingWhy blurred boundaries can make feedback and performance conversations much harderHow professional boundaries support fairness, trust, role clarity and psychological safetyWhy leaders and supervisors need their own supervision, reflective practice and supportMy Boundaries Pyramid framework (and your free resource!)I also share a real workplace example of what can happen when the line between supervisor and friend becomes blurry, as well as some of my own very clear boundaries around socialising with colleagues.And actually, this isn’t about becoming cold, detached or inaccessible as a leader. Especially in the helping professions, human connection matters.It’s about being warm and friendly while still being really clear about your role.A few questions to think about after listening:Where do you draw the line between being friendly and being friends with your team?Are you making decisions because they’re the right decisions, or because you want to be liked?And who supports you while you’re supporting everyone else?As Brené Brown says, “Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”Free resource:Want to reflect on your own professional boundaries?Download my free Boundaries Checklist.Work directly with Jazmin:Want to strengthen your professional boundaries?My Boundaries as Practitioners training is an online self-paced course designed for helping professionals who want practical strategies to build and maintain clearer boundariesLooking for professional supervision, leadership supervision and consultation, team reflective practice or training?Coming soon: Leadership TrainingI’m currently developing new Leadership Training specifically for leaders working across the helping professions, including practical support around boundaries, self-leadership, difficult conversations, emotional regulation and leading sustainable teams.Want to be one of the first to know when it’s released?Express your interest hereSocialise with Jazmin:Come and say hello, I’d love to connect with you!LinkedInInstagramWebsiteAnd if this episode got you thinking about your own boundaries as a leader, I’d love to know what came up for you after listening, so please do let me know!