Are you a leader? A business owner, CEO, manager, maybe a parent? One of the most critical foundations of leadership is to recognize what drives those who you lead or manage. While people are obviously very complex, one foundation that most of us share is that most of us strive to be a part of something greater than ourselves. This “something” can be a person (like a political figure, boss, father, etc.), an organization (like a company, family, club, etc.) or a philosophy (like a religion, personal value system, etc.) Having such an affiliation makes most people feel much more secure – and happier – in life. As a leader, you probably represent this role to those you lead (even if you think of your staff as friends). For example, employees look up to a manager to let them know that he or she knows what the company’s next steps are and that they are safe in their role with the company. You provide not only guidance, but a sense of certainty and security as well.

Imagine you have gone to a doctor, and the doctor has never seen symptoms like yours before. Which assessment makes you feel more at ease, “I have no idea what’s wrong with you. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Or, “You have a unique combination of symptoms. I’m going to research this more and consult a colleague before drawing a concrete conclusion. I’ll call you in the morning to advise you of our next step.” In both cases, the doctor is saying “I don’t know what’s wrong.” But in one case, you feel secure that he knows what he’s doing, while in the other case you feel like you want to just walk out and find another doctor. Sure, it might sound like just a variation in wording, but consider the feeling you are left with. As a leader, the key is to never leave your staff feeling like you felt with the first doctor. Here are some keys to being an effective leader in this way:

When you don’t know the solution to a problem, at least come up with some good questions for your staff. Saying “Hey, I don’t know any more about how we can handle this disaster than you do…” will quickly undermine their faith and following. Instead try things like “This is a big challenge for all of us. We’re going to focus on maximizing short-term profits this quarter on established product sales. I’d like to brainstorm ideas for how we can achieve this.”

It’s okay to say “I’ll need to give some thought to this matter and we’ll talk about it in more detail tomorrow.” Rarely is a quick answer better than a good answer.

Let employees know you have a plan and that you know what you’re doing (Even if you have your doubts, experience shows that sharing great uncertainty with employees will cause even more problems.) Incidentally, they don’t need to know your whole plan, but just feel confident that you have one. This doesn’t at all imply deceiving employees, but rather figuring out a bit of what is needed to move ahead before talking to your staff.

Have someone who you can share your uncertainty and doubts with. Whether it’s a friend, colleagues in a business association (e.g. executive roundtable, small business association, etc.) or, of course, a coach. Few of us can run the race alone as well as we can with friendly and knowledgeable support.

Remember, we all like to look up to someone or something greater than ourselves. Give this gift to your employees, as well as making sure you have it for yourself and in your own life.

Al Lipper offers Personal Life and Small Business Coaching services for holistic people seeking life balance, small business professionals, and men's issues. Contact him for a complimentary session to find out how he can accelerate you towards getting the life you want. http://www.destinysuccess.com

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