Luke Azzopardi on ‘valuable’ lessons in leadership

Switch’s Marketing Manager Luke Azzopardi speaks of the struggles of leadership and shares how he too sometimes “feels demotivated and needs a break”.

“Today I learned a valuable lesson from a colleague, that good leaders show vulnerability,” Mr Azzopardi stated. When it comes to leadership people tend to look at the perks and frills, and sometimes fail to see the struggles that leaders face in their day-to-day life.

Mr Azzopardi argues that it is fine for leaders to show their human side. If nothing else, it helps to make them “more relatable.”

“Leadership is not about being 100 per cent reliable, or always saying the right thing, or always being available no matter what, or always being positive and upbeat, or always looking at the bright side,” he affirms, adding that “[he] used to think that trying to project those things will make the people around [him] feel supported.”

However, “while on paper it sounds right, I learned it makes you seem inhuman to the people around you. It’s unrelatable.”

The reason for this is that when a leader is falsely trying to project a high level of energy, those around them might feel demotivated because it leads them to feel like they cannot match up. Mr Azzopardi admits to not always being positive and upbeat and to not always having the energy to look on the bright side.

And that is perfectly fine.

“I know for a fact that I am none of those things 100 per cent of the time. Not even close,” he says. “There are days I struggle to get out of bed. There are days I feel demotivated and tired. Days when I just need a break.”

“Act the way you want others to act around you,” the Marketing Manager concludes.