Care to Lead?

When it comes to having those hard conversations with people where awful attitudes, poor performance, and divisive doings require a leader to address the problem, many leaders do what they must do out of duty, not out of desire. If they could pass it off to someone else, some leaders would in a heartbeat, and a sizable percentage do. Talk about a dereliction of duty! This should never occur, because troubled people need tactful leaders to lead them through and out of their troubled times. Do you care to lead?

Authentic leaders have no fear meeting this leadership requirement because they possess a heart’s desire and a professional duty to tap into their team member’s potential and draw out the best in them. Their desire is to make their people better and their duty is to use TACT while accomplishing this goal. Wise leaders TARGET the problem, not the person; they AFFIRM the person, not the problem; they CLARIFY what “right” looks like; they offer techniques to TACKLE the problem together. This is the method for helping people to begin getting better, but what about targeting the problem.

A leader shows CARE by meeting the troubled person in a safe setting, and:

·         First, COMMEND them for things they are doing well. People open-up to appreciation and affirmation, and by affirming a person, it builds trust in them that you, the leader, or manager, have their best interest at heart.

·         Second, ADDRESS the problem and its ramifications in a non-accusatory manner. It is vital to remember not to accuse because it sets people on the defense, and it takes two-thirds more effort to get them out of their defense mode.

·         Third, REDIRECT the person’s attention from the problematic “business as usual” to a “better way” by having them respond to the question, “In your opinion, do you think there may be a better way of working through and managing the problem?” After exploring the “better way” options, then together choose the best option for creating a win-win-win solution. A win for the team member, a win for the leader, and a win for the team.

·         Finally, EXHORT the team member to follow the better way solution, and make the promise to check-in with them and serve as a trusted accountability agent on their journey to reaching their full potential. Genuine leaders know when individuals strive to reach their full potential, the overall team will reach its potential, as well.

So, to every leader or manager who wants the best for your organization or team, the challenge to you is to be your best at doing your part, as a fearless, tactful, and caring leader, to lead your people through troubling times, both individually and collectively.