Leading edge businesses foster the following values to create the right environment that gets and keeps the best employees…
- An environment of Opportunity
- An environment of Respect
- An environment of Appreciation
- An environment of Accountability
- An environment of Excellence
- An environment of Enthusiasm
- An environment of open and honest Communication
- An environment of Compassion
A few closing thoughts to ponder…
Do people understand you?
Do people trust you?
Do people know that you care?
And remember, it’s all about the relationship.
- The quality of performance in your business is a direct reflection of the quality of leadership.
- People are the only known constant of the future.
- The majority of your associates are disengaged (unhappy) with their immediate supervisors.
- People join companies and leave managers.
- There is a direct connection between one’s leadership effectiveness at home and work.
- Behavior drives results. Change behavior and change results.
- Leadership is a feeling. People want to feel valued, secure, and appreciated.
- Legendary Leaders inspire others to dream, risk, believe, and achieve.
And remember, it’s all about the relationship.
- Are you a Conscious Competent? You are an effective leader and you know why. Congratulations, you are a Legendary Leader!
- Are you an Unconscious Competent? You are an effective leader but you don’t know why. Your goal should be to identify the skills that make you effective so you can teach others.
- Are you an Unconscious Incompetent? You are an ineffective leader but you don’t know why. There’s still hope, as you can learn the skills required to become a more effective leader.
- Are you a Conscious Incompetent? You are an ineffective leader and know why but refuse to change. You don’t belong on the team and should be made available to industry.
How would you rate your current level of leadership effectiveness?
What skills do you need to learn and apply to elevate your level of leadership effectiveness?
And remember, it’s all about the relationship.
Trust
Legendary Leaders always do the right thing according to a foundation of ethical and moral standards and know that trust, once lost, is almost impossible to regain. They do what they say they will do, when they said they would do it, and how they said they would do it.
Communication
Legendary Leaders ask the right questions to get the right answers. Lack of effective communication skills is one of the main reasons for disengagement. Effective leaders utilize understand that open and honest communication is the lifeblood of trust. Legendary Leaders understand that people want to be understood. This takes time, patience, and compassion. Great leaders take the time to get to know their team members. It all starts with an open and honest conversation.
Appreciation
Lack of appreciation is the number one reason associates become disengaged. Remember, people want to feel valued, secure, and appreciated.
- How to Improve Loyalty - Make 5 deposits of appreciation before you earn the right to one withdrawal of criticism.
- Legendary Leaders Practice R.A.R.E. - Random Acts of Recognition Everyday
And remember, it’s all about the relationship
“The shortest distance between mediocrity and excellence is the truth.”
Authentic leaders understand that to become a person of influence, they must always seek, speak, and live the truth. It may sometimes hurt, but it will always help, as trust once lost is almost impossible to regain.
Following are the five things authentic leaders do with truth…
- They seek it.
- They speak it.
- They expect it.
- They respect it.
- They live it.
And remember, it’s all about the relationship.
Effective leaders understand that relationships are the key to success and the development of authentic relationships takes time. The following story illustrates the magic….
Once the Chinese Bamboo Plant is planted, there is no visible growth for up to five years, even under the most ideal conditions. Then, as if by magic, it suddenly begins growing at the rate of nearly 2.5 feet per day, reaching 90 feet within 6 weeks!
Commit to the daily discipline of developing authentic relationships and watch the quality of your life soar!
And remember, it’s all about the relationship.
Jeffrey Gitomer, author of 
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