Positive interactions = Greater productivity
As time has gone by, the role of company leader has changed.
Treating your employees and colleagues with respect is more likely to obtain better results. Nowadays, persuasion is more effective than rhetoric and collaboration is valued over coercion. Whilst it is important the relationships with your staff remain professional, modern leaders are expected to have greater emotional intelligence and demonstrate this in the way they interact with others.
A limiting mindset – Lack of trust
Trust is the key to building strong and productive relationships within a business. Having faith in the people, processes and plans you have in place, is not just the ideal situation, it is also a good performance indicator of your leadership. If you don’t think the elements around you are sufficient, then something’s wrong and this demonstrates that action must be taken.
There are two sides to nurturing trusting relationships:
1. For you – Recruit and train your employees well so they are qualified to deal with the opportunities and challenges for which you require them. This means there will be less pressure on you as leader to tackle the operational fire-fighting, leaving you the chance to focus on more forward-thinking tasks.
2. For them – Empowering your staff shows that you believe they possess the skills to execute the job. This is will not only boost their confidence, but also increase their respect for you as leader. Nobody wants to feel like just another cog in the machine.
A missing element – Be persuadable
Being persuadable has negative connotations. In this context, this suggests that your resolve is not strong enough to stick to your original thoughts. However, I would argue that stubbornness can be just as (if not more damaging) than altering plans and approaches. As part of my coaching, I encourage my clients to consider changing tack differently…
Admitting that you have previously made a wrong decision is far less problematic that stubbornly forging on, which will fritter unnecessary resources. It might be a little embarrassing, but your colleagues will respect this acknowledgement far more than them wasting their effort on a fruitless activity. Tactically agile organisations require pragmatic thinkers, so don’t be afraid to pivot if you think it’s required.
Many leaders throughout history have been undone by a blinkered attitude; don’t be one them.
A different perspective – Hearing vs. listening
Hearing is passive and listening is active. If you only hear your employees’ feedback and move on, this will not make you better leader. You must engage with the people around you, because beyond demonstrating that you care, you may well find that they have something important to say.
Stephen Covey writes in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lesson in Personal Change:
‘If I were to summarise in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relationships, it would be this: Seek first to understand, then be understood.’
There is a vital message in Covey’s words, which business leaders everywhere should consider. In many meetings, it will be the case that the leader of a company opens the dialogue with their thoughts and targets. I would encourage them to let their team speak first, so they can tailor their words more carefully. It stands to reason that if you wait your turn and listen first, you will be more informed when your time comes round.
I wholeheartedly believe that if you can perfect some of the finer points of interacting with your colleagues and building strong relationships, then many of your other, wider business concerns will seem far simpler. Active listening is key, as it will not only benefit your decision making on a practical level, but will also create respect amongst your employees. Modern leadership is far more reciprocal than simply telling people what to do.
Would you change anything about how you interact with those around you?