The basics of being an effective leader is knowing how much weight and focus to put on which issue they are facing. In other words, where should the leader extend themselves and how much? Leaders have to know when to implement strategies which will yield maximum results.
In today’s article, I’m suggesting these strategic areas for leaders to extend themselves toward their followers. The additional leverage your people on your team provide is well work the developmental work you need to do in order to increase the overall effectiveness of your total team and organization.
Where You Should Extend Yourself
1. Extend Belief
By their very nature, leaders initiate action. One of the first actions to initiate and extend is the belief in people. Managers believe in systems, processes and procedures, but leaders must extend belief in people. Examine your team members and ask yourself to discover what is special and unique about each one? Share your observations with them. People like to know that positive things are noticed and reinforced and in addition, you are creating a proactive and positive environment for them to maintain.
2. Extend Trust
You must to give to get. Leaders who trust first set themselves up for trust. Trust doesn’t take time, it takes consistency in action and words in a positive, forthright fashion. Another way to extend trust is to be very transparent and vulnerable about your previous mistakes, fears and weaknesses. Let them know you have been where they are. You were not born in your position, but through diligence and hard work. You are a model for them of what can be achieved. Your followers must truly believe you have the experience to help and you have their best interest in mind.
3. Extend Patience
Remember when you made similar mistakes? Remember when you didn’t know the answers? Leadership requires your to extend your patience along with your belief in people. Believe the best will eventually emerge from your followers. Your job is to dig for gold in them and find it. You may have to move a lot of dirt to get to the gold and that is where your extension of patience is crucial.
4. Extend Service
How can I help? This is one of the most important questions you can ever ask someone who is under your leadership developmental responsibility. Extending service to them provides guidance and confidence. Help them to be shining stars. Remember to do it from the coaching sidelines, don’t run in on the field and take over, but take some time outs for some quick strategy sessions to find ways to help them score.
5. Extend Value
People will always appreciate someone who helps them get better. They will always want to reject someone who takes value and recognition away from them. You need to equip them and train them in ways where their value to you and the organization is always rising. In developing people, it will always look like a stock ticker. A little up and a little down, but over time in the big picture view, it is always moving forward and upward. Make sure you always remind them of where they are strong and talented, keep them working in those areas of strength while keeping strong focus on continuous improvement on those areas.
Comments