L.E.A.D. by example
The purpose of the LEAD model is to serve and motivate. These four actions can help you increase trust, strengthen relationships, deepen collaboration and engagement.
Listen - Learn the concerns of others through active listing. Allow what they tell you to influence you. That means be open to discovering new perspectives and opinions. Someone might share a better approach to solving a problem or improving a process if you're willing to hear them.
Empower - Give autonomy as appropriate. This builds confidence and self reliance. Don't over supervise. Assess how much independence a person can handle based on their competence and commitment on each task.
Acknowledge - Don't hold back on praise, recognition, and appreciation. Simple expressions are easiest and best. Give congratulations publicly. Write thank you notes. Reinforce best-practice behavior by telling others specifically what they did right.
Develop - Coaching and continual feedback is essential for performance and development. Help your team figure out a specific plan to improve a process, increase customer interaction, or have more effective meetings. Tackle only one or two areas of improvement at a time.
Leadership is something you do with and forpeople; not to them. When you LEAD you increase competence and grow commitment. The sky is the limit.
