Lolly Daskal's Blog, page 71

How Great Leaders Unlock The Potential in Others

If you’re like most leaders, you don’t want your people to settle for doing good work—you want them to do great work. That means part of your charge is to bring out the best of who they are and what they do. Here are some of the most important ways top leaders help their people discover their potential and fully express it:

Establish a foundation of trust. Open up workplace conversations beyond day-to-day performance, and establish an atmosphere of trust and acceptance. People need to know that a development discussion is different standard performance review—it’s not just about what people do well and what they could improve, but about their aptitudes and interests, where they want to be and how you can help them get there.

Give people a chance. Show people you believe in them by giving them opportunities to stretch their limits. Most leaders are too worried about minimizing the risk of failure when they should be focusing on maximizing the possibility of wild success. Look for any chance to help unlock new potential.

Coach and invest. Great leaders know the importance of investing in their people. When you nurture and support others, they will blossom and grow. Any leader who is too preoccupied with anything else to attend to their people has forgotten the essence of their purpose.

Provide opportunities to stretch. Great leaders provide challenging opportunities because they understand that giving someone a good challenge, one that comes with a real stretch, allows them to develop and unlock their own potential. They set a high bar and provide support to those working to reach it.

Give regular feedback. We all have our blind spots, and a great leader is often the person who can tactfully help people see their own weaknesses and how they may be getting in the way of their effectiveness and advancement. Done right, regular feedback is a gift that nourishes a person’s growth without destroying their roots.

Monitor, measure and reward. Don’t give up on people too easily. Work together to improve performance. You may find that people have more potential than you think they do. If you believe in them, they will meet you at your confidence. And remember that holding people accountable for their performance includes giving them credit for their accomplishments.

People need to own their own learning and career path. But your ability as their leader to cultivate potential can have a great influence on them—as well as on your own reputation and effectiveness as a leader.

Lead from within: Everyone has the potential to be great. Often all that is required is the coaching and belief of another person to convert that potential to reality.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post How Great Leaders Unlock The Potential in Others  appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

Why Great Leaders Never Try to Fix Others

A common management response when an employee is underperforming is for someone in leadership to be called upon to step in and fix it. This usually takes the form of a process involving endless meetings and complicated appraisals, a process that probably accomplishes little but leaves management feeling satisfied that they’ve done everything possible to fix the problem employee.

Great leaders, however, understand there are lots of reasons that trying to fix a person never works. Some of the most significant:

It breeds resentment. Leadership is supposed to be about serving others, not trying to repair them. When you try to fix someone, you’re almost certainly going to be perceived as arrogant. It’s a sure way to breed resentment, which often metastasizes into bitterness and anger that may poison not only your relationship with that employee, but the entire team.

It’s not empowering. Hearing from your boss, manager or leader that need to be fixed is the opposite of empowering. The resulting emotions are most often a sense of distress that people don’t see you for who you are and what you are capable of. It’s demotivating and leads to disengagement.

It rarely works. Numerous studies have shown that trying to fix people with advice rarely works. As cognitively advanced beings, most of our behaviors and beliefs are determined by habit—our everyday behavior—and that’s not something that can be changed easily in a conversation.

It pushes people away. There is nothing worse than telling another person that they’re not good enough. Leadership is supposed to be about bonding with others, not pushing them away. Once someone gets the message that they’re considered less than adequate, they’re likely to start showing up less and doing less. The best leaders understand that they’re in the business of inspiring greatness in others, not making them feel inferior.

It comes across as controlling. The attitude that you need to fix someone means you want to control them, and controlling others never works. Leaders who understand human nature realize that the start of any meaningful change comes internally, with a changed belief. People change when they believe they can and they should—not because anyone else thinks so.

No one ever wants to feel they are broken. When an employee is underperforming, that’s a time to connect. Find out about the context of the problem and whether any of it is within your ability to change. Respectfully make sure expectations and consequences are clear and offer to provide any resources that may be helpful.

Lead from within: They key to not fixing others is to never to think that people have something wrong with them. We all wander off the path from time to time, for all kinds of reasons, and that is when great leadership steps in to empower.

#1 N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post Why Great Leaders Never Try to Fix Others  appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Help Your Team Feel Their Purpose at Work

Studies have confirmed what we already know: employees with a strong sense of purpose are likely to be not only happier but also more effective, more productive and more results-oriented. Purpose-driven professionals are extremely valuable talent. So why are the organizations that foster a sense of purpose so scarce?

There are lots of reasons. Shrinking budgets, bad leadership, inflated demands all contribute to the loss of purpose. In far too many workplaces, you’ll find individuals who are working harder and putting in longer hours but without much conviction. The resulting culture is one of demotivation and disengagement.

For everyone to be at their best, it’s important to encourage ever individual on your team to stay connected to their sense of purpose. Here are some ways to make it happen:

Make it personal. Purpose can’t come from a directive; it has to be felt. It’s not enough to talk about it. You need to show it and live it every day to set the tone.

Connect to a greater cause. For people to feel a sense of pride in what they do, they need to know that they are making a difference in people’s lives. If you can connect the success of your organization to the benefit of society at large, to show how it serves a greater cause, people will find not only pride but also meaning in their day-to-day grind.

Offer frequent recognition. Give people frequent recognition for their work, showing how it contributes to the greater goals of the organization. When you do, people feel valued and connected, and they want to do more and be more.

Promote self-development. When you provide opportunities for ongoing training and development, both professionally and personally, you energize people and set them up for long-term success. Investing in your people is an effective way to keep them motivated, loyal and connected to a sense of purpose.

Spread the positivity. To deepen connections between your team and the people they’re serving in their work, encourage group or individual involvement in a volunteer project—ideally one related to the work you do. For example, if you work for a publisher, look for a program working with adult literacy or children’s reading. Encourage mentorship and shared expertise, too. As a bonus, the bonds between team members will be strengthened as well.

Keep purpose at the center. When you center your team and your own leadership on shared purpose, it becomes internalized and in time grows to become the focus of the workplace culture. For your team to know who they are and how they make a difference all starts by leading from within.

Purpose is a grand word, but in the end, it’s about serving and benefiting others. If you keep that in mind and lead from within, you’re certain to find success.

Lead from within: Purpose is a powerful tool for leaders who want to bring their best to work and inspire others to do the same.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post How to Help Your Team Feel Their Purpose at Work appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

What to Do When Your Boss Is the Conflict

I often get calls from HR managers about difficult leaders who need help, but one stands out in my memory. It was from the HR director of a pharmaceutical company, who said, “We have an executive who’s arrogant, angry and forceful all the time and he’s constantly causing conflict—he’s a menace to the organization.”

My first common-sense question was “Why don’t you fire him?”

“We can’t,” the HR director said. He’s brilliant, and he’s turned the company around. We need him.”

And so a call was set up and I started to work with—as his colleagues called him—the leader from hell. The process I used with him followed five discrete steps:

Developing a relationship. For weeks I worked on building a relationship with my new client. I asked about his family, his parents, his kids. I learned about where he grew up and went to school, his hobbies and his passions.

Discovering the driver. Once we were comfortable together, I asked him one day, what drove him in his work. His answer was thoughtful and eloquent. He had planned to become a doctor but he couldn’t hack the pre-med academics, so he studied business with an aim of working for a pharmaceutical firm. He was still helping patients, still connected to his original goals, but in a way that better suited his aptitude.

Understanding the issue. As I spent time with my client at work, I saw that he was generally calm but sometimes had outbursts with colleagues or direct reports, treating them curtly and almost abusively. When I asked him why he let his emotions get the best of him, he shrugged and said, “I don’t know, I get impatient.” Similarly, he couldn’t understand his co-workers’ responses: “Don’t they see I mean well? It’s just a moment of anger.”

Teaching new skills. In leadership, as any other field, there are things you need to know that are never taught in school. For the next year, my client and I worked on the skills he needed to learn—what I called best practices. For the first time he had resources for regulating his emotions, which helped him feel empowered and in control—and better able to deal calmly with whatever was happening.

Reconciliation. I had him call a meeting with his team where he acknowledged his past behavior, discussed the steps he had taken to improve, and explained that moving forward he would be asking for feedback and responses.

The end result in this case was a good one, a perfect illustration of the adage “when you know better you do better.” In about a year, my client had become not only a good leader but a great one—a leader who leads from within.

It isn’t always so smooth. And if the problem is someone in leadership above you, you really aren’t in a position to require coaching or remediation. But you can still follow some version of the steps outlined here: Work to understand what’s underlying the behavior, model positive skills, and communicate as best you can the consequences of the person’s behavior. If they refuse to show any sign of willingness to change, you have a problem, because destructive behavior can’t be tolerated. If you’re in senior management or HR, that may mean setting a disciplinary process into effect. If not, and if reporting the behavior doesn’t bring about change, it may mean looking for a new position in a less toxic environment.

Lead from within: When a leader is causing conflict, you have to get to the underlying cause and turn it around if you can. If that effort fails, you have to make decisions that are aligned with your company’s values and your own.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post What to Do When Your Boss Is the Conflict appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How Great Leaders Control Their Ego

Everybody has an ego, and a healthy ego is necessary for success in leadership or any field. You need to have faith in yourself and your abilities, and when you’re trying to achieve something difficult, it serves you well to have that voice in your head saying “You’re the one who can make this happen.”

But left unchecked, an ego can be a destructive force. It may keep you from admitting you don’t know something you need to learn, or persuade you not to consider the areas you need to improve upon. Sometimes it takes the form of the fear of looking foolish, which can keep you from speaking up or taking a chance on an opportunity.

Knowing how to manage your ego is important. Here are some of the approaches top leaders use:

They acknowledge and respect their ego. Great leaders understand that the first step in managing their ego is to acknowledge it and respect it. They never try to disingenuously pretend that it doesn’t exist. They respect their ego enough to understand how it serves them, even if it means having to face harsh realities about themselves.

They don’t compare themselves to others. The best leaders understand that big egos come with big expectations, and they resist the constant temptation to measure themselves against others. They compare themselves only to their own ideals and aspirations as they decide what’s most important and focus on getting there.

They never stop learning. The smartest person in the room isn’t the one whose ego is telling them they’re the smartest. It’s the one who knows how much they still have to learn.

They serve a higher purpose. Top leaders know that the best way to control their ego and keep perspective is to remember that the world does not revolve around them. Holding to an attitude of service, in leadership and in life, breaks the pressure we put on ourselves, giving us room to move from self-importance to a sense of genuine purpose. The highest level of achievement is based on passion and service, not hitting a target for personal accomplishment. Living life beyond ourselves in service of others doesn’t just keep our egos in line—it creates more adventure, fulfillment and meaning.

Great leaders understand that controlling their ego is a personal challenge that is critical to success, and it’s something they have to do themselves, every day. It’s the only way to build respect and trust with others.

Lead from within: A big ego can create huge achievement but it can result in huge destruction too. Controlling its power is a skill well worth mastering.

 

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post How Great Leaders Control Their Ego appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

Six Company Rules That Were Made to Be Broken

Rules are there for a reason, and most of the time they’re worth following—to preserve the greater good and to keep yourself out of trouble. But there are some rules that you absolutely have to break if you want to succeed.

Ask yourself if any of the following rules are keeping you playing small. If so, start breaking them right away, and keep breaking them every chance you get.

It’s how we’ve always done it. Technologies eventually become obsolete and so do methodologies. If you’ve found a better way to do something, breaking out of the usual routine is the way to go.

You don’t have the authority. If you have ideas on how to change processes, how to streamline systems, how to make things easier, do everything you can to show your boss and coworkers what’s possible. It’s not the time to hold back.

Stick to your strengths. Good people grow best when put in positions outside their knowledge base, so if anyone is keeping you stuck and having you repeat what you already know, break the rule and show them you can be more.

Don’t be concerned about values. What happens when the people in a company fail to live up to its values? In those situations it is important to break the rules and lead by example by living up to those values yourself. Many organizations do a great job of coming up with philosophies and principles, but it is often hard to see how they live up to those values on a day-to-day basis—especially when they come into conflict with the bottom line.

Don’t change your approach to leadership When old habits don’t serve you anymore because you have developed and grown as a persona and a leader, then you may need to bend the rules or break them to show them what can work better—or to demonstrate that the old ways don’t work at all.

Don’t follow up on concerns. Some organizations discourage employees from expressing any concerns, and some encourage people to speak up but lack the willingness to change anything. If you’ve voiced a concern, try to find out if anyone is actually doing anything about it. If not, it’s time to escalate your concern further up the org chart—or, if the matter is serious, take it to someone outside the organization. You don’t have be a victim. Instead, aim to be a victor and use your voice when it’s needed.

The world is changing fast, and your organization has to keep pace. Don’t feel alone as you work to pull your leadership team into the 21st century. There are millions of other people doing the same thing, and sometimes the best way to get it done is by breaking the rules one at a time.

Lead from within: There is a time to make rules and a time to break them. Know the difference and take action. Why? Because the best leaders always do.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post Six Company Rules That Were Made to Be Broken appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How the Best Leaders Manage Up Effectively

Managing up—finding effective ways to work with those above you on the org chart—it is a skill that’s rarely taught, but it’s essential to leadership at every level. Whatever your position, whatever your aspirations, building appropriate relationships with your higher-ups is important to your success and advancement.

The key is to develop the best possible understanding of your bosses’ quirks, preferences, priorities, work style, and communication style. Those insights will guide you in working with your bosses effectively and making a great impression. Here are some specifics to work on:

Shift your mindset. The skills that have served you well in attaining a leadership position and managing a team need to be adapted for success in managing up. Prepare yourself to take on a new set of skills and align them with your goals.

Build relationships. Take advantage of opportunities to meet and interact with your higher-ups, especially in informal settings away from the workplace—like receptions, fundraisers and athletic events. Getting to know your bosses and building a rapport in a relaxed environment is a great way to start building strong relationships.

Rely on your competence. Give yourself extra confidence in a situation like a presentation involving your bosses. If you begin to feel uncomfortable, remind yourself that you’re showcasing skills and strengths you already possess. Confidence is believing you are able; competence is knowing you are able.

Provide value. Think about what the people above you need and look for opportunities to add value. From this perspective, your job is to make them look good. Try to stay connected to their goals and objectives as well as their pressures and issues, and always be ready with ideas and solutions.

Make yourself indispensable. Some people equate managing up with sucking up, but that’s not it at all. It’s about highlighting your skills and showing you’re dependable and proactive. And all it takes is excellent work and a willingness to please. Do your job cheerfully, work hard and lighten your boss’s load where you can.

Communicate well. Be mindful of making a good impression as a communicator: don’t allow yourself to ramble, watch your tone and volume, and remember what you have to say. Be clear, concise and competent. Communicate well and you’ll automatically be perceived as knowledgeable and capable.

Don’t drop the ball. Be honest with yourself about your workload so you don’t overextend yourself. You may not have all the skills you need yet, and that’s OK. Taking on new assignments is a great way to learn, but don’t be afraid to ask for help from those who can coach and mentor you. Especially when you’re making yourself visible to the higher-ups, you don’t want to be seen dropping the ball.

Managing down, across and up all involve different skills , and all three are important to anyone in leadership. Work to build strengths in all three areas, but remember that managing up is essential to advancement.

Lead from within: Knowing how to manage up well is a major skill in effective leadership.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post How the Best Leaders Manage Up Effectively appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

This One Trait Will Destroy Your Leadership

There are lots of traits that can harm your leadership. But the most dangerous—the trait that carries a real danger of destroying your ability to lead—is defensiveness.

No one enjoys taking criticism, but if you can’t listen to others and take in what those around you are saying, you’re slowly eroding your leadership, even if you don’t realize it. Here are some questions to help you identify the principal danger signs in yourself:

Are you closed off to criticism? if you cannot listen to criticism you will never know what people actually think. Unless you are willing to hear the candid thoughts of people you trust, you cannot develop or grow as a leader, and you will likely lose the respect of your people.

Do you deny your mistakes or faults? You can’t learn from your mistakes if you’re busy trying to deny they exist. The best leaders are humble enough to see their mistakes, courageous enough to admit them and wise enough to correct them.

Do you rationalize away your failures? Nobody wants hear how you justify your mistakes as a leader—they want to know what you’ve learned in the process, how failure has made you smarter and better. The best route to respect is to be candid about your own missteps and failures.

Do you get upset at the messenger who brings bad news? If you punish those who are honest with you, no one will tell you truth. An important part of being a leader is showing strength and tenacity in the face of bad news, focusing on solutions rather than lashing out.

Do you blame others for your problems? When you try to blame others for your own shortcoming and problems, it shows your low self-esteem as a leader. It’s never easy, but you have to show that you’re courageous enough to accept your faults and strong enough to take corrective action.

Do you ignore others? If you don’t listen to others, others won’t listen to you. It’s that simple.

Do you lead with a sensitive ego? A sensitive ego is one that protects you from pain. It can also prevent a you from maturing mentally and emotionally by causing you to distort truths and ignore unpleasant facts about yourself. When you fail to connect with and show your authentic self, you cast your leadership into question.

Do you shut down negative feedback? Trying to keep things quiet doesn’t make them go away—and most of the time it doesn’t even work. Make yourself listen to the good and the bad, because what you don’t own will end up owning you.

Are you unapproachable? As a leader, you should be both approachable and accessible. You can’t lead when you’re closed in.

If you’re concerned that defensiveness is harming your leadership, get your ego out of the way and start working through to the honesty and integrity that foster great leadership.

Lead from within: Defensiveness is a sign of failure. You can’t move forward in your leadership until you overcome it.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post This One Trait Will Destroy Your Leadership appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Figure Out What Motivates Others

Great things can happen when people are motivated—but making that happen isn’t a simple task, because no two people share exactly the same motivation. The best leaders understand that motivating others is an important part of their role, and that doing it well means discovering and providing motivation that’s unique to each individual member of their team as well as building organizational values that foster motivation.

To really figure out what motivates others so you can work with them to build individual and team success is a skill that requires you to go deep. Here are a few suggestions for establishing individual motivation and a motivational culture:

Start with the basics. The first principle of motivating others is communicating to them how important they are—letting them know they’re valued and what they do is important.

Invest in their future. Show an interest in the career path of your employees. Get to know their best areas, what they enjoy doing, and what their aspirations are. Give them challenging assignments that play to their strengths and help them grow, then celebrate their successes.

Connect them with a mission and purpose. Help people stay connected to the big picture of what they’re working for to ensure they never think of their job as just a paycheck. Let them know about the mission they’re part of .

Help them learn something new. Learning brings with it enthusiasm and new ideas. Provide subscriptions so people can read and stay up-to-date in their field, sponsor learning within the organization with brown-bag lunches and workshops, and pay for employees to attend classes and conferences when you can.

Give them autonomy. One of the greatest motivators a leader can give is freedom—the freedom to make decisions, to come up with new ideas, to move things forward independently. Autonomy is the best motivator for many people. When you tell someone you trust them, you empower them to do great things.

Make it personal. Not everyone is driven entirely by work. The people on your team all  have hobbies and interests, families and friends. Find out what drives each person, and ask them about it. The better you understand the people who make up your team, the more successfully you can motivate them—and the closer the bonds that connect you all.

Praise with purpose. When an individual or team does something right, praise them with purpose, Be specific about how their accomplishments and achievements affect others. Remember to recognize those who work behind the scenes as well as those in the spotlight.

Delegate to empower. Get people involved in setting organizational goals and determining the strategies and processes to reach those goals. Ask for their opinions about decisions that have to be made. Assign work and trust people to do it well—and when they do, express your appreciation.

Lead from within:  Motivation gives strength and inspires drive in others.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

The post How to Figure Out What Motivates Others appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

Learn How the Best Leaders Know How to Read People

Knowing how to read people is an important leadership skill. A big part of leadership is the ability to manage groups of diverse individuals, and the key to making that work is developing your ability to see differences in people so you can employ those differences for everyone’s benefit.

Here are some of the techniques top leaders use in reading people:

They start with understanding themselves. The best leaders know that to truly understand others, they have to first spend the time to understand themselves. They seek out feedback so they can discover their strengths and weaknesses, and they cultivate self-awareness by considering how their words and actions affect themselves and others.

They learn about personalities. Top leaders make it a point to familiarize themselves with different personality types to help them understand people and their differences. Studying a personality system like Myers-Briggs or Enneagram can help you develop the knowledge and insight you need to understand people at a foundational level.

They observe and listen. The best leaders are observant; they take the time to look and listen, which enables them to assess people at different levels in different situations. The more closely you observe someone, the more you know about them and the better you can read and understand them.

They look below the surface. Most people judge others by what they say, but the best leaders assess them on what they do. They go a level deeper to see how the person truly functions and what makes them tick. They move past the surface and look for the essence of people.

They look for difference. Top leaders look for the skills that make a difference—the skills that make up a person’s ability to bring a project to success. Finding people with those skills means being able to seek out difference.

They watch for emotion. Research has found that people who are emotionally expressive are more reliable, capable and trustworthy than others. Talented leaders look for people who can connect with enthusiasm, passion and personal involvement.

They think in terms of motivation. To truly read people, you need to know what motivates them. Only when you understand what drives someone can you begin to understand them on a meaningful level. It is the choices we all make that drive us to be who we are.

Reading people—sizing them up, picking up on their signals, getting to know them on a deeper level—is an important skill for any of us, but it’s critical for leaders who aspire to greatness. People count on their leader, and to be effective in that role requires that you build a quick and accurate understanding of the people you’re leading so you can help them build success, both individually as a team.

Lead from within: The best leaders are really good at reading people. They understand the people around them—sometimes even better than the people understand themselves.

 

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The Leadership Gap

What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

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