How Unforgettable Leaders Inspire Loyalty
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Think loyalty
is dead?
Think again.
Loyalty may not
look like it did 20 years ago - when companies offered career-long
employment and workers unquestioningly followed orders - but loyalty is
far from deceased. Loyalty is an intrinsic human characteristic based
on emotional attachment that can be tapped, nurtured and developed.
Inspiring
loyalty takes leaders with insight into the human heart and sensitivity
toward the hopes and aspirations of others. If you've ever worked with
such a leader, I know it's an experience you will never forget.
In my seminars
on the Power of Collaborative Leadership, I share examples from
executives I've interviewed about their most memorable and inspiring
bosses. Here are seven ways unforgettable leaders inspire loyalty:
1) They
encourage you to continuously improve
We knew she
wanted us to succeed. She was always acknowledging our good work and at
the same time, pushing us to improve. She had an almost magical
ability to urge us to excel in ways that never trivialized
our current achievements.
2) They trust
you
I always felt
that my boss absolutely trusted me when he gave me assignments.
Essentially, he sized up who he had on his team, and then decided who
was best to get the job done. When he picked assignments for me, he
also took responsibility for having chosen me. He gave me absolute
freedom to succeed or fail, but I always felt supported by this man.
With the assurance of both his trust and his commitment, I felt that
whether I won or lost, he was with me. I gave that job everything I had.
3) They know
you � they really know you
I was at a
claim office of about 125 employees, walking through the office with
the claim manager. This particular manager had received fantastic
feedback on our Quality Leadership Measurement System survey, so I was
curious to watch her with her people to figure out what generated not
only the good financial results, but also this great feedback. And as
we walked through the room, conversing about the normal work
conditions, she would often stop and refer to specific individuals:
"Steve over there has been in our area for 15 years. Steve also coaches
Little League. He�s got a winning record this year.� We�d then move
on to someone else, and as we left that person�s area, quietly the
claim manager would say, "Sally had some problems with her daughter
this year. She�s a teenager, you know. And these are tough years. We�ve
had many sessions behind closed doors where she�s trying to sort
through these problems.�
It became
apparent to me that this woman knew all of her people. And I don�t mean
just knew their jobs. She knew each individual � what their concerns
were, what got them excited. She knew when they were upbeat because
things were going well, and she knew when they were struggling and
needed her time and attention. When I asked, "�How on earth can you do
this for 125 people?" she replied: "That�s my job.�
4) They include
you
My boss, the
CEO, was brilliant � a genius who thought way outside
the box. Although I suspect he had the answers all the time, he spent
hours talking with us, involving us and making us feel as if we were an
integral part of a huge transformation� as if we were making history.
And he got so much out of all of us. Working with him was exciting,
exhausting, time consuming, incredibly intense, and absolutely
thrilling.
5) They share
your values
We shared
exactly the same values and high aspirations about wanting to make the
company a truly great place for people to work for the long term � and
we agreed about what it was going to take to achieve that goal. How
many vice presidents of Human Resources could be so lucky as to have
this kind of alignment of values with their boss? Not many!
6) They join
your team
The leaders I
recall as the most inspirational were also the ones who were "in the
boat" with me. They didn�t stay above the job or the project or the
exercise or the problem. Instead, they became part of the team, so that
we felt we were all working together to find collaborative solutions to
our challenges.
7) They
motivate you
The best leader
I ever worked for combined a deep understanding of organizational
dynamics with an exceptional talent for dealing with people. At
meetings he would pose questions that left us curious, energized,
engaged, and highly motivated. We couldn�t do enough for him. Sometimes
I wondered if we were all hypnotized. I�ve never seen people work so
hard for someone and still want to do more.
Building
loyalty has as many different faces as the people you lead. It�s about
the daily encouragement and support that only happens when you
understand and embrace employees at the human level. It�s about
including and connecting in ways that makes people want to go �above
and beyond� because of that personal connection, affection, and
respect. One executive summed up his experience: �People will be almost
embarrassingly loyal to a leader who is loyal to them.�
About the Author
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., is an
international keynote
speaker, author, and leadership presence coach. For the past 25 years
she has helped senior managers, female leaders, politicians,
entrepreneurs, and salespeople build their influence, impact, and
collaboration skills. Carol is a leadership contributor for Forbes.com and the author
of twelve business books, including The Silent Language of
Leaders: How Body Language Can Help � or Hurt � How You Lead.
Contact her by email: [email protected],
phone: 510-526-1727, or through her website: www.CarolKinseyGoman.com
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2015-12-29 12:16:51 in Business Articles
