Great leaders are concerned with helping their people succeed in life more than their success as employees.
This is a simple principle yet one of the most powerful and difficult to live by.
I always hear players of legendary sports coaches say things such as, ?Our coach cared about us as people more than just players and taught us about life more than just sports. ?We are now better people because of him.?
You invariably see amazing loyalty, teamwork and success in such teams.
But more importantly, you see great humanity at work.
So how do you help people become a success in life?
While our exact definitions of success in life may differ, I think we could all agree it is a combination of being content, effective, productive and happy. ?It is having the ability to dream, grow and have a healthy balance between the pleasures, priorities and demands of life.
Help them in all of this!
And so, what does this mean for us practically as leaders?[unordered_list style=’circle’ number_type=’circle_number’ animate=’no’ font_weight=’regular’]
- Impact people?s lives – Know that to become a great leader, we should move from directing people?s activities to impacting people?s lives.
- Do it for the right reason – Work on caring about people?s success in life because it is the right thing to do and not as a trick to increase your influence.
- Challenge, empower and invest in people – Give people the best you can to help them in the dance of life.
- Don?t become their psychotherapist – Do become their coach or almost like another caring parent for them.
- Listen to people – Hear their heart!? Know their dreams.
- See their entire life ? Help them succeed in their current job, but this is not the entire story. ?Their entire life is the entire story ? get to know it and be a positive part of it.
- Do what is best for them, not for you – Give people your best advice to help them move forward on their life journey, even if that means that it is not what is best for you.? This is very important and will test your commitment to this principle. ?They are first! (This includes letting them leave your team.)[/unordered_list]
On my own leadership journey, I look with sadness over those who left my team whose lives were not positively touched.?? I simply was not good enough to impact them!
Now, I am more committed than ever that if and when people leave my team, they leave as better human beings?
Bigger, kinder, able to dream more, do more and become more. ?Simply, more life success!
Do you help the people you lead succeed in life?
Your Friend,
PS ? If you think this blog may benefit someone you know, please consider sharing!
Reading:? This week I am reading the book Face To Face With God, by Bill Johnson.
