Dynamic Leaders Ask for Help

by John Keyser

In my work as a leadership coach, speaking with hundreds in business and studying numerous surveys, it is clear that many senior managers have become isolated. We spend most of our time together with our other senior execs, in endless meetings and, when not in meetings, captured by our smart phones. We are in continual contact with each other – and we are way too removed from the core meaning of our work.

How can we break through that isolation and remember our sense of purpose? We can start by putting our smart phones in our pocket and walking out our office door and off the executive row. Let’s go to the source of our company’s productivity and purpose: our people.

It’s amazing how easy it is get that vital reminder of why we’re doing this in the first place, how we got started. Simply talking with our people, asking how they’re doing and what they’re working on, will help us to re energize, while also helping them to do great work, to grow and succeed.

A principle I admire is, “To be a great truly leader, we must stand with our people, not above them.”

People want to feel appreciated and valued – and heard! When we have sincere conversations with our people, when we ask for their ideas and listen patiently and intently to understand and learn, we break through the barrier between “us” and “them”. We connect with the core energy of our company, and we add fuel – our own resurgence of energy and resolve to help our people and our companies be the very best they can.

Our people will know how to improve our business. They want to be helpful. Everyone does. They are just waiting to be asked. And they will be thrilled when we do.

When we ask for their ideas and even their feedback about how we are doing as leaders, we show them how important it is to have an open mind and a commitment to continuous improvement. And just like that, by asking for and offering timely and honest feedback, we are creating that culture of continuous improvement, both individually and as a team. It’s that simple.

If we show that we have the humility to know we can always improve, and the inner confidence to allow ourselves to be vulnerable and ask for feedback, they will want to do the same. If we can listen with our full attention, fully present, focused and positive and with comfortable eye contact, we invite them to consider how they, too can improve, and to offer their ideas for the company. And when we follow up with questions, they will know their ideas are being heard. That they matter.

This is how we open the door to trust and solid, productive working relationships.

Oh, and how do we make time for these conversations? Let’s reduce our time in those eternal meetings. How? Ask our people. They don’t want to spend so much time in meetings either. Ask them how we can have fewer meetings and shorter and more productive discussions.

It is so important to ask our people for their ideas. The best ideas are bottom-up!

This is truly effective leadership!