I am so impressed by leaders who excel in uniting others. Their organizations are thriving because they recognize the importance of people’s welfare. You see, companies grow when leaders help people feel fulfilled, individually and collectively. The process requires diligence, patience and passion.
Initiating and maintaining a culture of unity may initially seem daunting. As I wrote in the first post in this series, the process involves four basic components:
- Promoting value and purpose
- Fixing the most compelling problems people face
- Establishing teamwork and family
- Connecting with people personally
Personal Connection
Unity blossoms when employees know their leader cares about them and can relate to their situations. Let me ask: As a leader, how well do you connect with your employees? I believe relationships are key in uniting others, and leaders who are passionate about their people experience the greatest success.
The most successful leaders use their people skills to foster teamwork and build unity.
- Talk with your people transparently, and ask questions. Make every effort to understand what they care about, what concerns them and where they want to go.
- Use your active listening skills to hear and fully comprehend what people have to say. Deep listening, defined by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia in Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family (Portfolio, 2015), involves sharing and understanding the feelings behind people’s words. Know what’s going on inside people’s heads, and show respect for who they are. Employees feel fulfilled when they know they matter and are being heard.
- Follow up. Listening often requires follow-up, so be sure to make status inquiries. And while words are great, action is even better. Show people you value them by addressing their difficulties and concerns, whenever possible. Provide resources to see difficulties through to resolution.
- Celebrate with team members who overcome challenges or perform commendably. The best leaders celebrate little victories along the way, express gratitude and spread joy.
Your Leadership Legacy
Chapman and Sisodia assert that caring is absent in many leaders; old-school managers often consider it a weakness. But employees will reject unnecessary toughness, firmness and control. Caring puts you on the path to unity and prosperity. A unified, engaged, motivated and inspired workforce is the greatest legacy any leader can have. There’s nothing a unified team cannot do.
What do you think? How will uniting others affect your legacy? I’d love to hear from you. You can call me at 561-582-6060, let’s talk. And as always, I can be reached here or on LinkedIn.
