In our
opinion, most leadership approaches today are based on knowing what to do and
how to do it. In our dealings with many
corporations what we see missing is passion, insight, inspiration and an
ability to listen.
We all intuitively
understand this. In our own careers we
all know who the great leaders are or were.
They were the ones who excited us to exceptional performance. They
formed a relationship and worked with people, and didn’t act like their people
worked for them. The difference between
high-performing cultures and just exceptional cultures is the quality of
those relationships which formed the bond of how well people liked and trusted
each other. The leaders were
inspirational.
To inspire others requires
the emotional intelligence and commitment to learn how to connect with
others. Effective leadership
communication is clear and deep, creates commitment rather than
compliance, and for most of us, requires the learning and application of new
skills.
Leadership means
not listening to formulate a rebuttal but to build trust. Good leadership
communication connects with the mind – it’s logical and strategic – but it also
connects with the heart by being personal and meaningful.
Employee
loyalty and retention are extremely important in today’s labor market and it
could be like this for quite some time. In a time when employee loyalty is
waning, generating loyalty can become a competitive advantage. Loyalty to a
leader comes from who they are – from the motivation behind their actions.
Leaders can inspire such loyalty if they first understand who they are, not
just what they do.
Employee
recognition is critical. If leaders
really want their employees to produce, they should try to impart a sense
of meaning – not just through vision statements – but by allowing
employees to feel a sense of completion and ensuring that a job well done is
acknowledged.
For
more information on Ultimate Choice Inc.’s products or services or other white
papers please contact us at Ultimatechoiceinfo@cox.net
