Leadership is more challenging than just leading by example, its speaking to another’s bigness, to their dignity, to that part of them that longs to achieve, excel in their accomplishments and win big. That part lives in all of us, and is our own human spirit’s drive to be alive, to take another breath, and to take the next action. But often, we relate to another from their mistakes, reinforcing the very behaviors we don’t want. That requires us to retrain our own behavioral tendencies, adopting a much more generous and empowering view of others.
For example, you’re dealing with a person who has a complaint or an upset – your view could be that they are a whiner, complainer, or a trouble maker and, you have lots of evidence. Or, you could realize that underneath every upset and complaint, is a commitment for that circumstance to be different. Why else would they bother to voice anything? When you think about it from this point of view, people are either in action, or they are trying to get in action but they’ve stopped for whatever reason, which occurs for them like a problem, or they do nothing at all because they just don’t care anymore. They think, “It’s too hard, it’s not possible.”
Not caring, apathy, and resignation happens when people have just plain given up. It’s tough to hang in, to care enough to fight for something through to completion.
Which behavior would you prefer in your key staff? Being in business for yourself is tough, challenging work, and not for the weak of heart. No matter what size your business is, you need at least a few strong people on your team willing to stand with you. Be thankful for every single person who shows up next to you to fight all the way through another day. Yes, sometimes they complain, argue, and challenge you, testing your strength and conviction; but note the fact they show up. As to those who quietly find their way through the day doing whatever they’re told, let them be. That is the work you have for tomorrow, to find the one thing that stops them from feeling their courage and strength to be in action. That kind of leadership takes great heart, understanding, and compassion, and your business is now a vehicle for each person to accomplish and produce way more than they ever thought possible.
When Productivity goes up, Profits follow.
The great Chinese sage Mencius said, “Those who follow the part of themselves that is great, will become great. Those that follow the part that is small, will become small.”
“As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others”. — Bill Gates
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