Top 10 Ways to Lead from the Heart
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”
― William Arthur Ward
Great leaders lead by example and from the heart. Employees will do what their leaders do, not what they say.
Through a leader’s actions, which are aligned with congruent words, they become a person others want to follow.
When leaders say one thing but do another, they erode trust, the critical element of productive leadership.
Here are 10 ways to lead by example and from the heart.
1. Take 100% responsibility. Blame costs leaders credibility, keeps team members on the defensive, and ultimately sabotages real growth. Leaders that blame don’t take responsibility and are at the effect of everything around them. By taking responsibility, leaders always stay at cause.
2. Be honest. Inaccurate representation affects everyone. Show that honesty really is the best policy. The truth always leads to freedom even if it is painful on the front end.
3. Be courageous to do the right thing. Be willing to walk through fire (a crisis) first. Take calculated risks that demonstrate your commitment to a larger purpose. Great leaders always do the right thing even at the expense of their own personal gain. Courage always builds trust in the team.
4. Embrace failure. Mistakes happen. It’s what leaders do with those mistakes that allows for growth or just more avoidance of the problem. Learn and grow from mistakes by creating something new and positive to take its place. Protect future employees from repeating the same patterns.
5. Be persistent. Try, try again. And then try again. Remove the roadblocks to show that obstacles, especially miscommunications, don’t define your company or team. Go to bat for your people and they will go to bat for you.
6. Create solutions. Don’t dwell on problems; great leaders go straight to solutions. Ask for input, acknowledge all comments, and decide together what the best plan of action is.
7. Listen first. Ask questions. Seek to understand before being understood. Listen fully before thinking about the next response, filtering, finishing sentences, or disagreeing. You’ll receive valuable insights and set a tone that encourages healthy dialogue.
8. Trust. Great leaders trust that results will be met. Encourage an atmosphere in which people can focus on their core strengths and then let go. Teams that are held accountable yet forgiven when all doesn’t go as planned are able to move on quicker to greater success.
9. Take care of yourself. Stress kills. Exercise, don’t overwork, take a break. Leaders step back at various times during the day to maintain balance. A balanced team, mentally and physically, is a successful team. Model it, encourage it, support it!
10. Serve your team. Like Alexander the Great leading his people into battle, you’ll inspire greatness in your company by serving the people that work for you. It’s not what leaders get from their team that matters, it’s what they give to them that ultimately leaves a legacy that lasts.
Feel free to reprint or share this article courtesy of Claire Communications and The Evolving Heart.com