In this informative video, Jessica Langenberg, Director of Leadership Development at Leadership Resources, talks about how to achieve greater success using the Success Chain.
What to Know About the Success Chain
What is Success?
Langenberg defines success as the feeling of accomplishment one gets after achieving a positive outcome or result. This means that success can look different for everyone. Understanding the Success Chain can help an individual target certain ways of thinking and behaving that can lead them to more success.
The Success Chain is broken into five ascending components: conditioning experiences, attitudes and habits of thought, actions and behaviors, results and outcomes, and, finally, success. Let’s go over what each of these entails and how they lead to the next step toward more success.
Conditioning Experience
As Langenberg describes in the video, a conditioning experience is something (or several things) that occur in one’s life that trigger particular patterns of thought. These experiences may be positive or negative, and tend to occur with some repetition, shaping the way leaders think about themselves, their abilities, and the people around them. In the video, Langenberg outlines the conditioning experience of a project manager who struggled in school. Because of this negative experience, he carried a sense of inferiority and doubt with him into his career.
Attitudes and Habits of Thought
The conditioning experiences described above create one’s attitudes and habits of thought towards people, assignments, and situations. Like the experiences themselves, these habits can be positive and productive, negative and limiting. Maintaining positive habits of thought is one of the most important leadership skills to acquire.
Without this skill, negative conditioning experiences can quickly lead to negative thought patterns. In the example above, the project manager might have formed limiting beliefs about his own abilities due to his negative experiences in school. These habits of thought could lead to doubts about his intelligence and his ability to communicate effectively with his clients.
Actions and Behaviors
The way one thinks or feels about something has a direct impact on what one chooses to do, or not do. Unproductive habits of thought can result in undesirable leadership behaviors. In the case of our project manager, he may struggle with direct communication with his clients for fear of coming off as uninformed or indecisive. He instead did most of his communication via email and deferred to others when asked certain questions directly.
Results and Outcomes
One’s actions inevitably lead to one’s outcomes. Unproductive actions or limiting behaviors will often lead to undesirable results. The project manager in this scenario might experience poor results due to his inability to communicate effectively with his clients. Conversely, positive and productive actions or behaviors will lead to desirable results. For instance, if the project manager decides to be more responsive and take ownership of problems rather than avoiding them, his results will likely improve.
Success
The better one’s results, the more likely one is to feel a sense of success. The Success Chain helps us to understand the impact of our thinking and behaviors on our results – as well as the power one has to intentionally get better results. The Success Chain clearly shows that even a simple change in one’s way of thinking or behaviors can result in greater success. The challenge is recognizing those patterns of thinking and choosing the right behaviors to achieve one’s leadership development goals.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is to make the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that reduce stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
Be sure to watch the video breakdown below:
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Most of us have heard the phrase, “I’m my own worst enemy.” Indeed, many of us can probably relate to this idea. To be one’s own worst enemy is a common human pitfall because we are ultimately the one in control of our actions. Some of the decisions we make may satisfy us in the short term but harm us in the long run, like ordering pizza instead of cooking those vegetables in the fridge, or avoiding that phone call. We can defeat ourselves more easily than any mustache-twirling villain could attempt.
Some of us, however, have a hard time admitting this inherent and common flaw. We claim that we don’t need external influences to guide us on our way or prevent us from making poor choices. While some people are more self-aware than others, everyone can benefit from having a coach in any aspect of life. Being your own coach comes with a number of caveats that can stifle or even harm your progress. This is especially true when it comes to leadership development. Let’s examine some of these pitfalls of self-coaching.
The Pitfalls of Being Your Own Coach
Falling Back Into Bad Habits
We all form habits in our lives and they both serve us and stunt us in significant ways. These habits allow us to operate efficiently, but mindlessly. For instance, one may wake up at 6 AM every day, shower, brush their teeth, get dressed, have breakfast, and head out the door, but do it all without a moment of reflection. And this normal morning routine just outlines a neutral habit.
Bad habits are those that we fall into at our lowest moments, or that negatively affect us in some way. These might include avoiding difficult conversations, smoking a pack of cigarettes each day, or spending too much time on social media at work. Whatever they may be, bad habits can be difficult for a person to notice, admit, and/or change on one’s own. If you’re your own business coach, you’ll have a much harder time breaking or even recognizing these regular behaviors.
Limitations of a Single Perspective
No matter how much empathy we have, we’re ultimately restricted by our own point of view. Reading, listening, attending conferences, and speaking with others helps one gain perspective and perhaps address personal shortcomings. But by avoiding external leadership coaching, one has a much harder time seeing oneself in an objective light.
Having a business coach greatly helps us improve ourselves and our leadership skills. It gives us an additional perspective that calls out our bad habits while showing us another way of operating. We can use our mentors as exemplars of better behavior.
Lack of Direction
Even if we discover our bad habits, eliminate them, and manage to gain perspective without having a dedicated coach, there is still a problem: where do we go next? The hardest part of achieving lasting leadership growth on one’s own is seeing a clear path forward. We can set goals for ourselves, but they may not be the best goals or the right goals at that moment.
We Need Someone to Challenge and Push Us
Again, an outside perspective is invaluable for development of any kind. We can’t exactly give ourselves a proper performance management evaluation. We need a coach to point out the places where we’ve improved, and the places that could still use some work. By focusing on the latter, we can map out the best direction for continued growth and success.
In other words, an outside coach will challenge us, pushing against our bad habits and calling us out when we try to make excuses. Both our actions and our ways of thinking need to be kept in check. This is both a short- and long-term project. A good coach will keep us on our toes on a daily basis. This daily accountability will add up and eventually become a successful routine. By challenging our negative thoughts and habits, an outside coach can ultimately transform our actions in the long-term.Everyone needs a coach to help defeat our own worst enemies. At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
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A common stereotype of corporate culture from years gone by is that of an unhealthy hierarchy where employees do the most work for the least pay and upper management sits in their corner office, with their feet up, drinking Scotch. While this is uncommon, examples of this structure can certainly be found in history, but in reality, companies would have a hard time operating this way for long. Such actions by a business owner or executive
If a business is to thrive, employee and management development must be viewed as an
Keeping the Company Strong
The negative outlook described above leads one to believe that business owners benefit when their underlings are suppressed. This couldn’t be further from the truth. A strong company culture relies on cooperation, transparency, and mobility. Employees must always have a direct line of communication to management and vice versa. Every staff member should feel encouraged to make contributions and suggestions without fear of judgment. If not, problems get left unchecked, teamwork suffers, productivity falls, brand reputation takes hit after hit, and the whole thing eventually collapses.
Truly investing in leadership training provides an antidote to this potential disaster by decreasing turnover and increasing opportunity. Employees will feel empowered to learn new things, open new doors, and take on new responsibilities. Some staff members may fall short, but others will thrive in this environment and make their way to new positions within the company, strengthening it from the inside. This mobility shouldn’t threaten upper management. The more people with valuable skills, the better. While continued development might lead to some internal restructuring, it’s bound to benefit the business.
Staying Ahead of the Competition
Ultimately, every business wants to have a leg up on its direct competition. Devising a leadership development program offers the best way to do so.
Companies everywhere are becoming more selective about who they hire. Every business wants to employ the best people with the most experience, as this will immediately give it an edge in the market. One of the most powerful ways for a company to captivate ideal new hires is by making it clear that it offers such leadership development courses. This will bring in people who already hunger to learn more and to grow as professionals. This way, a business will get the most out of its people and the most out of its training regiment.
To truly maintain a competitive edge, a company must invest in the leadership skills of all its staff members. The more people learn and grow within the company, the more ideas will flourish. New ideas lead to product innovation, creative marketing tactics, bold partnerships, and more.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
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Individuals and businesses should always strive to improve, learn, and grow. This process often occurs naturally as we gain experience and deal with adversity. However, progress can become stunted if we don’t know where we’re headed, or why. By setting goals for ourselves and our business, we can dot a path that helps us navigate our progress and keep better track of it.
But the goals we choose to set and the way in which we set these goals matters. If a goal is meaningless, arbitrary, or practically unattainable, it doesn’t matter if we reach the goal or not. If your goal-setting strategy seems to be broken, consider these potential problems.
Your Goals aren’t Concrete Enough
It feels good to set goals. This, however, can lead to problems if you aren’t careful in choosing what these goals are. Many people fall into the trap of setting broad, lofty goals that look great on paper, but cannot truly be achieved. And if they are achievable, the way forward is foggy. In other words, the goal is nebulous and not actionable. For business leaders, this makes team management difficult since no one has any clear direction.
If you find that your goals aren’t concrete enough, consider setting several smaller, actionable goals that can lead or add up to the broader goal or vision. This will leave you with a larger number of goals, but they will be easier to grasp and act upon, greatly reducing leadership stress and getting you where you want to go more effectively.
You Have Too Many or Too Few Goals
There is, of course, a caveat of setting too many goals: it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. Additionally, placing a myriad of goalposts along the path can create a false sense of progress, like checking off “take a shower” on your daily to-do list. Sure, it counts, but it doesn’t hold much value. Each goal must be meaningful, worthy, and related to improving the company culture.
Conversely, setting too few goals can leave you and your team feeling lost and directionless. There should always be a clear goal ahead. Striking the Goldilocks balance between too many and not enough goals is key to staying on track and growing steadily.
You Have Trouble Setting New Goals
Of all the leadership skills one should have, being able to set new goals is among the most important. This is how you revitalize your team, shake things up, and keep the business dynamic and alive. However, you might find yourself a bit lost after finally crossing the finish line of some major goals, asking yourself, what comes next?
One way to avoid this stagnation is to always set one or a few goals ahead of the goal you’re most closely facing. Again, you don’t want to set too many goals, but you always want to be moving toward something. Stay focused on the task at hand, but know that there’s always another level after you’ve beaten the current one. The goals you set should always be related to a greater vision or purpose. Use each goal as a springboard for the next one you set.
Enhance Your Goal-Setting Strategy with Accelerate
In today’s digital age, we can rely on technology to help us create, organize, measure, and react to goals. Leadership Resources’ proprietary software Accelerate helps businesses set, manage, and track goals in real time. This program separates goals into categories: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. After being categorized, each goal can be defined and optimized with specific information and steps that will lead toward reaching it.
Team members can give and receive updates on these goals and specific tasks within them, increasing accountability. Reporting occurs in real-time, so everyone can stay up to date on a specific goal’s current progress via percentages and graphs. Leaders can see which members are falling short, where goals are heading off track, and which behavioral changes may be necessary for a reset. By putting goals into visual, tangible terms, Accelerate makes the goal-setting more transparent and navigable.
If your goal-setting strategy isn’t cutting it for you or your business, you might be running into one of these roadblocks. If your goals are too broad, break them up into smaller, tangible chunks. If you’re facing too many or too few goals, find a digestible medium. And if you’re running out of goals to set, think of the big picture.
Leadership Resources, with the aid of Accelerate, can help you reset your goal-setting strategy and achieve those goals. We would love to play a part in your continued leadership development. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and why.
In the workplace, it often seems like nothing matters more than productivity. In theory, when workers are more productive, the business thrives, profits increase, and everyone is happy. But productivity can come at a cost. The truth is, people only have so much mental and physical energy in a given day to get things done. And it doesn’t take much to push someone over the edge into the land of stress. Stress tends to take a hit on productivity in the long run, so there is a fine line to walk between working hard and burning out. This applies to leaders and staff members alike So, how can managers help employees deal with stress? And what about managing leadership stress?
Encouraging Self Care
The workplace is meant for work, of course. But if a work environment offers no small escape or time away from work duties, the quality of work will suffer. Therefore, a workplace culture should encourage staff and leaders to take some time during the workday to socialize, refuel mentally and physically, play games, and step outside for fresh air. These little things add up and allow all team members more space to gather thoughts and gain perspective.
At first, this all might sound counterintuitive. After all, the goal is to increase productivity. How does playing a pickup foosball game or taking an extended coffee break get anything of value done? Well, these activities reduce stress and allow one’s brain to reset. People will come back to work refreshed after partaking in a small act of self-care, and their work will be better as a result. So, in the long-term, these seemingly pointless excursions can increase productivity.
Fostering an Open and Honest Environment
Stress is like pressure and often feels like it. It gets bottled up and eventually will explode if not released on a healthy, regular basis. So, leaders and staff members need a way to air their personal and work-related concerns in an open environment, free of judgment. A company’s culture and values should allow every employee to feel comfortable speaking their mind to their peers and managers when necessary. Otherwise, problems get swept under the rug and fester. These issues can devolve into resentment or worse.
There is nothing more harmful to productivity than a workforce that feels stifled by a lack of communication. Things may occur in a company or office that leave some team members angry, confused, or feeling left out. Leadership in times of stress and change such as these is more important than ever. Leaders must not only reassure all staff that their concerns are being heard, but they must actually listen and act accordingly. Otherwise, that pressurized stress will eventually boil over and the team might fall apart completely.
Long-term productivity sometimes depends on short-term sacrifices. Sometimes a staff member just needs a personal day. Others might need an hour to blow off steam and recalibrate priorities. The work will always be there. The key is to ensure that the work gets done well. A workforce that is overstressed and unable to communicate will eventually fail in this pursuit, as will leaders. Managers and employees alike must encourage each other to take care of everyone’s well-being first and foremost.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. To learn more about what we do and why, contact us here.
Anyone familiar with the Star Wars franchise knows that Obi-Wan plays the mentor role to both Luke and Anakin Skywalker. This archetypal figure became the symbol of wisdom and guidance for millions around the world. Today, most people know what’s meant if asked, “Who is your Obi-Wan,” or, “Do you have an Obi-Wan?” That is to say, do you have a measured mentor? If you struggle to find an answer, you may be missing out on a key relationship.
Mentors come in many forms. They may be a business consultant, a professor, or something more intimate like a father figure. Whatever the case, mentors play an important role in guiding us, helping us grow by learning from them and from our own mistakes. They act as a method of course correction that keeps us heading in the right direction without doing everything for us. Let’s further examine the mentor’s role and how you might find the right guide on your journey.
Mentorship and Reference Points
If you recall from the prequel trilogy, Anakin, a hot-headed Padawan (student) was taken under Obi-Wan’s wing. Anakin occasionally listened to his mentor’s advice, but often acted out of rash arrogance and impulse instead. This, of course, led to his demise. While ignoring the guidance of a mentor rarely results in something so tragic, the story paints a clear picture of the importance of adhering to such guidance.
A mentor’s principal role is to act as a reference point for proper or common behavior. Obi-Wan, though he had his own internal issues with the corrupt politics of the Jedi Order, played his role, acted in accordance with tradition and laws, displayed leadership qualities, and became one of the most esteemed masters. In the original trilogy, Obi-Wan shows Luke the ways of the Jedi, recanting stories of old, displaying his power when necessary, and giving Luke important advice along his journey.
It is, of course, the student’s role to follow their mentor’s guidance by internalizing their teachings and mimicking their behavior. While Anakin fails to do so, Luke eventually succeeds, willingly sacrificing his ego for a greater purpose. If you’re willing to learn and grow like Luke, you want an Obi-Wan to show you his ways so you can follow suit.
Finding the Right Mentor
In works of fiction, the protagonist tends to stumble upon his/her mentor as an act of fate. While this can happen in reality, finding the right mentor usually takes some effort. Leaders who want to improve their skills might enroll in executive coaching programs to learn from multiple mentors. Or, leaders can actively seek advice from those with more experience. Even if you don’t build a strong relationship with this person, you’re participating in the role of student, and they the role of teacher.
The truth is, you can’t force any kind of relationship, whether it’s with a business advisor or a significant other. If your Obi-Wan is out there, you will naturally build this connection. You simply have to show a willingness to learn. Ask questions whenever possible, go to more networking events if the opportunity arises, and take on more responsibilities as long as you can handle them. This will draw Obi-Wan-like figures to you naturally, as they will see your potential, passion, and spirit.
Leadership Resources can help you find your Obi-Wan through business consulting services, coaching programs, educational content, and organizational checkups. Contact us here to learn more.
An organization is only as good as its people. So, when a business hires new people, it must look for specific things that will enhance the business as a whole. Of course, new recruits must have relevant experience and knowledge. But perhaps even more important than that is what makes that potential hire click. What motivates them in life and in work? And are these motivations commensurate with the existing company culture?
At Leadership Resources, we include our values in our job requirements. This way, we can attract individuals whose values and core motivations align with those we’ve set forth. Let’s further examine why we do this, and why every organization should hire with culture and values in mind.
Roots and Branches
A good entry point to understanding the importance of this hiring practice is to use the analogy of a tree. On one end of the tree are the roots, and on the opposite end are branches. Workplace culture is akin to the roots, the stability and sustenance of the organization. When all else is in question, those values remain firm and rooted.
On the other end, the branches are always reaching out. Likewise, a business should always seek new directions, ideas, and influences. However, the roots must remain intact for this to occur. The roots feed upward to the branches. In other words, an organization must aim to grow without sacrificing its core values. Indeed, the only way it can grow and is by keeping these values in mind every step of the way. When hiring new team members, you should keep this analogy in mind. Will this person contribute to the strength of the roots so the branches can continue reaching?
Knowing When and How to Change Company Culture
This might sound counterintuitive to the previous point, but sometimes the roots need to be reexamined and shifted for an organization to progress. When this happens, it’s crucial to know how to change company culture carefully without undoing past progress. Values must be firm, then, but flexible enough to be made better and stronger than before.
So, when a business looks to hire people with matching values and core motivations, included in these motivations must be a desire and willingness to improve the organizational culture and leadership when necessary. At Leadership Resources, this falls under our core values of Continuous Development and Authenticity. Leaders must be vocal about their concerns and ready to make changes with confidence and clarity when the time comes. This applies to any business, large or small.
A business has a lot to consider when looking for new hires. Few candidates will perfectly fit every requirement and preference laid out in the application. However, some candidates will stand out in specific areas related to the company’s core values. These are the people you’re looking for. Without them, the roots may rot and the branches will cease to grow.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. For more information on what we do and who we are at Leadership Resources, contact us here.
When it comes to maximizing office productivity, leaders are faced with several challenges. On the one hand, you want to get the most out of your employees. On the other hand, you don’t want to push your team past the threshold of exhaustion. Burnout is a real problem in today’s workplace culture. Leaders must find a way to avoid burnout while still fostering sustainable office productivity. The question is: how?
Expectations and Motivation
In any successful organization, its core values are defined for all its people from the very beginning. These values lay out what the business aims to achieve and how it aims to achieve it. As a result, clear expectations are set for all staff members. Employees will understand how to behave as well as the consequences of not meeting these expectations.
However, consequences alone won’t enhance employee performance management. People need motivation to work harder and feel good about their work. This motivation can come in many forms. Ideally, an employee will have flocked to the company because his/her core values align with the culture and values of the business. If this is the case, the employee will feel inherently motivated by contributing to the company’s success.
But staff members can always be motivated further. For some, receiving praise on a job well done is a strong motivating tool. For others, it’s compensation or promotion. Whatever the case, the best way to motivate employees is to appeal to their core values and encourage their great work.
Encourage a Healthy Separation of Work and Home Life
Not feeling motivated can certainly lead to burnout. But the other leading cause stems from the inability to get away from work. Of course, some employees work from home and others enjoy collecting overtime as compensation for extra hours worked. Still, failing to find a healthy balance between work and life outside of work is bound to create burnout in most employees at some point.
When building office culture, leaders should keep this separation in mind and respect the private lives of all employees once the work day is done. Employees should also feel encouraged to take a reprieve from work every now and then, either for a personal day or a week-long vacation. These breaks for the day-to-day stresses of work actually benefit employee productivity management in the long-term.
Of course, every now and then you may have to call an employee after hours for clarification or to change plans on the spot. Aside from these litter interruptions, though, compartmentalizing work and life is usually for the best.
In business performance management, striking the balance between healthy productivity and burnout is challenging. As a leader, you want your employees to feel motivated on their own and know what’s expected of them. You also want the most work possible to get done, but you know that this will come at a cost of your team’s well-being and long-term success.
For more advice on how to maximize productivity and minimize burnout, visit Leadership Resources. Here you’ll find tools, worksheets, reading material, videos, and more, all designed to improve your leadership abilities and enhance your business. At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more.
Leadership Resources is pleased to announce Kari Foote has joined their team as a Leadership Development Specialist. Working directly with clients, Foote will develop high-performing leaders and create a culture of accountability. Through individualized coaching, facilitation of development processes, goal setting, and accountability, Foote will create customized development plans that align with the organization’s vision.
Foote has over 18 years of experience in a variety of fields in the public sector, including law enforcement and emergency management, banking and finance, and human services. The past two-and-half years, she served as the Human Resource Manager for the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County. She led strategic operations in the areas of employee relations, training and development, and talent acquisition, where she served over 3,000 employees across a variety of departments and divisions. Prior to that role, she spent over fifteen years working for the State of Nebraska in a variety of Human Resource roles, including the HR Field Operations Administrator for the Department of Health and Human Services where she supported over 5,000 employees statewide.
A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Business Administration, Foote brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Leadership Resources team. In 2014, she became a certified executive coach and a member of the International Coach Federation.
“We are excited to welcome Kari to our team. She is a great match to our core values and brings tremendous attitude and experience which will enhance the lives of our clients ,” said Boyd Ober, President and CEO of Leadership Resources and Accelerate.
Foote can be reached at (402) 423-5152. For more information about Leadership Resources and our services, visit our website at www.LRsuccess.com.
By now, most of us are familiar with the bad leader trope. Shows and movies like The Office and Horrible Bosses parody the worst possible qualities a boss could have, some of which may ring true to life. These so-called leaders lack empathy, fail at communicating, speak rashly, micromanage, and unwittingly abuse their employees. As a result, their employees become bitter, resentful, indifferent, or too distracted to do a good job.
While we clearly see what makes for poor leadership, it’s a bit less clear to discern what employees truly want in their leaders. Interestingly enough, we can find these answers by looking at the inverse behavior of these awful fictional bosses. The best leaders exhibit qualities that actually encourage employees to work harder. Let’s examine why by looking at five of the most in-demand leadership skills.
Honesty
A good leader shouldn’t lie to or hide things from his/her employees. There are of course exceptions when it comes to confidential information. But in general, leaders must be as transparent as possible. This means giving honest feedback to staff, admitting mistakes when they occur, and letting everyone in on new goals, developments, and challenges. Any HR business consultant can tell you that a leader who exhibits honesty will encourage honesty in employees, creating an open atmosphere where problems aren’t bottled up to fester and burst.
Responsiveness
Like honesty, responsiveness involves maintaining a clear line of communication between leaders and employees. Leaders must be able and willing to hear concerns and criticism from employees and then act on them. Bad leaders always think they’re in the right and scoff at negative feedback while doling it out. Good leaders accept any and all feedback and take action to resolve problems, whether or not they’re responsible for them to begin with. When employees see that their leaders truly listen to them, they’ll want to listen to their leaders as well.
Clear Instructions and Feedback
When consulting a business advisor to improve your company’s operations, they’ll probably indicate the importance of clarity. Clear instructions and guidelines help everyone do their job better. There should always be some flexibility, of course. But overall, employees will work harder and do a better job if they know exactly what they’re doing and why. If things aren’t completely clear or someone makes a mistake, they should also receive descriptive and constructive criticism to prevent these errors in the future. The best leaders train their employees with precise, coherent instructions, giving them helpful tips, corrections, and methods along the way.
Trust and Independence
If a leader has displayed honesty and trained his/her people well, employees should be trusted to do their job with little interference. According to business consulting services and employees, micromanagement is one of the least helpful and most annoying methods of leadership to deal with. Whether employees work in teams or alone, they want to be left to their work and trusted to do it well. If they have questions, they should feel comfortable enough to approach their leaders. Leaders should trust their people enough to not have to check in every half hour and pull them away from their work.
Passion
Employees want to work for someone who cares, not only about them but about the work being done. Indifference and cynicism can become highly contagious and negatively affect the entire workplace. Likewise, positive energy, devotion, and excitement can spread even faster. Even if not all employees share the same level of passion as their leaders, they will naturally feel better about their work if they encounter this energy. Of course, effective leadership doesn’t mean ignoring bad things when they happen, but remaining positive and seeking solutions rather than dwelling on the negative.
You may notice that the fictional bosses mentioned earlier carry none of these qualities, at least not until the final act. And to be fair, some of these skills can be difficult to hone, which is why executive coaching programs can come in handy. These programs help leaders develop skills such as responsiveness and transparency. Things like passion can’t necessarily be taught, but they can be expressed in helpful ways. Employees will naturally work harder for leaders with these qualities and will develop leadership traits of their own. Leadership Resources provides tools for leaders as they grow to become even better. Contact us here to learn more.
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