Where do I begin?! Part 2: Engagement

Hello there and welcome back!

I want to dive in and pick up right where we left off in our first post on "where do I begin" in leadership. The first two principles we started with were leading yourself and clear expectations. Those two basic principles will help you get started as a new leader in what ever field or industry you are in. You must first lead yourself and understand the what/where/why behind your message with clear expectations on what it will take to achieve the desired outcome. Ask yourself the tough questions first in order to be better prepared for when real questions are asked.

So, what is part two focused on? Engagement as a leader!

I would first pose the question to you as the reader... how well would you rate your engagement in the work place from a leader stand point? Now, put yourself in your teams shoes and how well would they rate you? If the two responses are close then congrats, no need to read any further. However; I can speak from personal experiences that how we "think" we are perceived is often far from the reality.

Before you begin to overthink this situation let me assure you that most people like their boss... most the time ha ha. Part of being a leader is making the tough calls when they need to be made and that does mean that someone on your team may not be happy and that is okay. However, I want to dive into some ways that you can bring up the morale and lead your team from an engaging standpoint!

People are people...

Nothing is worse than a leader who is a robot and comes across very disengaged, most times those individuals do not mean to. The phrase, "people work for people" is simple but has withstood the test of time. People want to work for those who treat them like they mean something, and they are a real person. During my tenure I would make it a goal that in the first 30 days of wherever I was stationed I would know the names of my teams and 1-2 facts about them. This was much harder said than done but it got easier over time. In fact, I would get a little cocky and make a bet with myself I could do it in half the number of days of the last location I was at. This pushed to engage more with each new location.

What worked for me? I would carry around note cards, small little note cards and I would interact with someone and strike up a conversation to get to know them. When I walked away, I quickly wrote down their name and what I learned... just a couple key points. This help me personally because later I would go back in review my cards over and over and over... The next time I engaged with that person I would tie back the conversation to something they told me before, I promise this method takes some time but the one thing no one could ever tell me was, you don't know your employees.

Again... people work for people so treat them as people...

Don't be the "OH" leader....

I want you to play this role out for me and answer truthfully... Have you ever worked for a leader who would walk toward you and the first response in your head or out of your mouth was... "Oh, here comes (bosses name)" and of course the OH is a dramatic OH in meaning you would much rather talk to someone else...?

Going back to the point earlier that not everyone will like you and that is okay, but the goal of a good leader is to inspire (majority) of everyone under them. Most emotions begin before one word is ever spoken and dictates how well a conversation will happen before anyone speaks.

I can tell you about the biggest mistake in my early years a leader was always asking the same question and giving the same robot response....

"Hey there Jim, how is your day?" "Good, good to hear!" "Well, if take care and have a good evening" those 3 responses would come out of my mouth 5-7 times a day just a different name for each response... I was the "OH" leader and thank goodness I realized it early.

So, what has leaders stuck in this weird pattern?

To me (just my opinion) leaders are afraid to be vulnerable with their teams in fear of losing control/power/position. I think some leaders are afraid the "line in the sand" will be lost if they choose to hold a normal conversation and close the separation gap. This is where I would challenge you though, remember earlier that I said people work for people and clear expectations are the key? If you execute both of those tactics and show your teams, you are not a robot then you have a winning formula for getting more accomplished.

I want to bring this all together from our first blog and this blog with a couple key call outs; Lead yourself first! Make the changes you need to make in order to become a better leader and realize that your development is ongoing.

Clear expectations are key! When you deliver your message or need to make changes in the procedure/workplace always make sure the message is clear and no confusion. Ensure the team has no room for misinterpretation.

People are people! Treat your teams as people who have natural born rights, know their names and know personal things about them. It's a leadership sin if you don't.

Don't be the "OH" leader! Make sure the way you leave every conversation is positive or makes an impact on someone. Do not get stuck in the same boring routine of talks and it's Groundhog Day every conversation. It is okay to let your guard down and show your teams that you are just as human as they are. They will respect you and still carry on your demands if they feel you are relatable!

I hope you have enjoyed these two posts and took some good points/ideas down on how you can become a more effective leader!

Of course, we will continue on the series with a third post and the next topic will be around.... You'll have to come back and see :)

as always please hit the "heart" button to show support or reach to me personally if you want to take your business or yourself to the next level!