Effective leaders make others feel good about themselves as well as
the work they are doing. The leader has a vision of what she wants to
achieve and can communicate that vision to others in a way that makes
people want to be part of it.
One thing a good leader typically does is to communicate the big picture,
so that each employee can see how the particular role he plays makes
a contribution to the final result.
In a recent study of employees at all levels in companies of all sizes,
Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans, authors of Love 'Em or Lose
'Em, found that "meaningful work, making a difference and a contribution"
was one of the top three reasons given by 90% of employees when asked
why they remain at a company. (The other reasons cited among the top
three were "career growth, learning and development" and "exciting work
and challenge.")
When someone understands why a job that might otherwise be considered
menial is important, that person is likely to be both more committed
and more productive.
People are also likely to follow leaders they see as positive role
models. If a leader demonstrates a strong belief in something, it inspires
others to work towards the leader's vision, even when a situation might
appear to be almost hopeless. An excellent example of a leader who faced
this type of situation is Lee Iacocca. When Chrysler's fortunes reached
a low in the 1980s, he cut his salary to $1 per year to prove his conviction
that things would get better. They did. Under his leadership, the company
flourished.
Good leaders not only "walk the walk", they "talk the talk". When they
speak about the future, they are positive and upbeat. Mark Victor Hansen,
a successful motivational speaker and co-author of the Chicken Soup
for the Soul books, said that even in the early days of his career,
if someone asked how he was doing he always responded that he was doing
fabulously. His enthusiasm won him plenty of supporters who helped
make his vision a reality.
Yet some people feel the way to get support from others is by telling
them how grim a situation is, hoping that will make them want to help
turn things around. On the contrary, Eeyores (those who sound like the
gloomy Winnie the Pooh character) may inspire people to start looking
for another job, rather than work to improve the situation they are
in.
If you have a tendency to be negative, but want to inspire others to
support you in achieving a goal, resolve to focus on solutions rather
than problems. If Plan A isn't working, avoid bemoaning the situation
and instead come up with a Plan B. If necessary, have Plan C waiting
in the wings. Maintain a can-do attitude and you are likely to attract
people who will support you in achieving your goals.
As well as communicating their vision, good leaders know they need
to communicate "what's in it for you" in order to have employees go
the extra mile.
They also understand that different people are motivated by different
things. For employees motivated by a need for achievement, a leader
explains how the task offers an opportunity to take on a challenging
but achievable goal. Those with a desire for power are told how their
participation can bring them prestige and lead to greater opportunities.
While employees who are motivated by affiliation need to hear how they
will be part of a team of people working together.
Effective leaders also use techniques to communicate their belief that
each team member is important, including remembering and using people's
preferred names (e.g. not "Rick" if someone prefers to be called "Richard").
As Dale Carnegie observed, "the average person is more interested in
his or her own name than in all the other names on earth put together."
Keys to remembering names include paying attention when introduced to
someone, mentally repeating the name and using it in conversation.
Good leaders will introduce employees by name first, rather than job
title. They refer to employees as team members, associates, or colleagues
- never as "subordinates" - and make no distinction between "essential"
and "non-essential" staff or "professional" and "non-professional" staff.
Words have power, including the power to make people feel whether or
not they are important to the success of an organisation.
Good leaders believe that every team member matters and foster an environment
that makes everyone feel important. It is no wonder they attract all
the support they need to help them achieve their goals.
