Are you an Inspirational Leader?
Emotional Intelligence is a deep, rich topic. One of the components of EI is inspirational leadership. This competency is especially important today as so many professionals are disenfranchised about work. Many managers I coach are feeling warn down by their team members who are underperforming and don’t seem to care about the quality of their work.
Or do they? As managers, it is our job to hire well. That is the first step. Then, we need to figure out, for each of our team members, what they need from us to help them succeed. One client managed a woman who went to him frequently with problems and no solutions. It drove him crazy. Time and time again he asked her to bring solutions. She didn’t. After we dug deeper into the situation, he realized that she did not have the skills. He needed to teach her, create a safe space for her to fail and inspire her to grow. As a leader, how effective are you at inspiring others?
#WiseWords
“hen people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.“
Worth the Share
With all of the change that has occurred over the last couple of years, many of us are exhausted. Employee burnout is real, some professionals are distracted and others are disenchanted with their jobs or professions. This article from Gallup caught my attention because it provides clear, simple areas of focus for managers. As managers, there is a lot that we can do to make a difference with our team members. 7 People Management Skills You Need to Succeed This Year highlighted these areas:
- Build relationships – create alliances, take the time to get to know others even in this virtual world, build trust
- Develop people – help them to grow professionally and remain engaged at work
- Lead change – lean into the the future and how you will get there as a team
- Inspire others – encourage others through vision, positivity, and an environment of what can be
- Think critically – listen, evaluate, challenge and make smart, collaborative decisions
- Communicate clearly – be an effective, concise communicator, make sure you are heard
- Create accountability – have an engaged team with shared ownership and clear goals
Make one or two topics each quarter and further develop your leadership skills to create a workplace that is thriving – even during these crazy Covid days. Read on to learn more.
And Finally...
Another of the twelve components of Emotional Intelligence as outlined by Daniel Goleman is positivity. I’ve written about this before. When I first saw it listed, it took me by surprise. Positivity, really? Well, during these days when bad news seems to be everywhere, positivity matters!
In the article above, Gallup incorporated positivity as a component of inspiring others, and while I agree with that, I do think that positivity should stand on its own. Being positive matters. Who wants to work for someone who is negative all the time? It’s depressing.
For those of you who know me, you won’t be surprised that Positivity is one of my top five Gallup Strengths. What are your top five strengths? Reach out if you’d like to explore your strengths in greater depth.
Have an inspiring week.
Mary Jo
