Encouragement. Need Some? (#170)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
The other day, I received a text from an acquaintance. It was a simple message I am still thinking about one week later.
“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson (American poet)
This Week’s Edition
If you have the power to encourage someone else, do so.
Clarify Your Thinking
The other day, I received a text from a number I didn’t recognize. It said,
“Happy Friday! Sending you a smile to thank you for making a positive difference in this world. Keep doing great things. – Amie”
Amie is on the leadership team of a leader I work with. We’ve been in numerous leadership workshops and strategy sessions. We are friendly but not close.
What would prompt her to text me out of the blue? I asked her that very question. She responded:
“For just being you. Spreading joy fuels me. Thanks for receiving it.”
Ladies and gentlemen, we have found a genuine encourager. I can only imagine how many other people she encouraged on that day… and perhaps every day.
If I’m still thinking about the random act of encouragement one week later imagine the others who have been positively impacted by her simple effort of encouragement.
Old Thinking: I feel like all I do is fight fires and attempt to buoy others so they can stay in the game. It’s exhausting. How come no one is encouraging me?
New Thinking: As the leader, I am supposed to encourage others. I’m tired, but think I will redouble my efforts to do just that. Who knows what will happen.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
A supportive environment of encouragement can contribute to the overall well-being of a team and their effectiveness.
Some benefits of encouragement include:
- Being motivated to continue to do the things for which you received the encouragement
- A shot of resilience as someone acknowledged you for your effort as meaning something to them
- Confidence that what you are doing is have an impact
- Increasing morale on the team as the act of encouragement is contagious
- Reinforces a feedback loop where acknowledgement of others is valued
Take these steps to up your encouragement game as a leader:
1. Encourage people according to their behavior you observe.
- Don’t just say “good job.” Tell them what you think they did well. Encourage them in the behavior you want them to continue.
2. Encourage someone even in their failure or mistakes.
- Spend a sentence on the mistake and a paragraph on the correction.
- Encourage them for trying and being willing to fail. Encourage them to keep going. Try again. Learn from their mistakes.
3. Be a good receiver. When someone encourages you, receive it. Thank them for supporting you in this way. Don’t rebuff or discount their effort.
Take time to make a list of people you can genuinely encourage. The root word of encourage is core which means “in the heart.” So, you are putting words directly into the heart of someone.
Be thoughtful about what and how you speak to your team. Use the science of encouragement as a guide. For one week, leave the criticism on the shelf and choose encouragement. Your leadership words may be just what you team needs.
Boost Your Performance
Watch this week’s video to find out how I discovered the concept of encouragement. It changed everything.
What’s Your Opinion?
How do you like to be encouraged? Share it with me at robin.pou@robinpou.com.
If you are going to be a leader, you might as well be a good one. Don’t let doubt count you out. Have a confident week!
Robin Pou, Chief Advisor and Strategist
We live to make bad leadership extinct so forward this newsletter to others who strive to be confident leaders.
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What is “The Confident Leader”?
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I began a video series called “Panic or Plan?” It was designed to equip leaders to navigate the doubt they experienced and to rise in the confidence they needed to lead during turbulent times. It took off. I then started this newsletter to equip leaders in the same fashion each week for the doubt that crashes across the bow of their leaderSHIP.
