High Impact Leaders

This is Week #4 in our Daily Leadership Tip series. This week we are covering seven ways to build leaders. Principle #23 is to Keep Promises, Even Small Ones.

A person who breaks his word on little things is also likely to break his word on bigger things too.

Wes Zimmerman, author of Perception of a Difference, put it very clearly when he wrote, "It has been my experience that people possessing high integrity are honest in little things and big ones. They are honest with themselves. They tend to think about what they are going to say before they say it. Above all, they do these things consistently. Their consistency earns my trust."

In contrast, when someone breaks a promise, even a little one, it shows their character.  They will tend to shade the truth and quote things out of context. 

Once this character flaw is noticed, it is very difficult to gain back that trust that is lost.

When promises, even little ones, are kept consistently over time, the leader develops a level of trust with the people that he or she interacts with.

Brian Tracy, a famous speaker and trainer says that, “The glue that holds all relationships together -- including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust, and trust is based on integrity.”

So, if you want to strengthen your integrity and build solid trust with your team, make sure to keep your promises.

Week #4: Developing Leaders Around You.
Principle #23: Keep Promises, Even Small Ones.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-23-keep-promises-even-small-ones/

Continuing in our Daily Leadership Series Challenge, this week we will cover 7 ways to Build Leaders. The principles in the next section can help build the levels of trust and respect from others…

Many of this week’s principles will help you gain the trust and respect from people around you. As the levels of trust and respect increase, your influence over others will grow. The trust and respect will result from the “Win/Win” relationships that you have already built by using the earlier principles.

1. Establish solid trust before offering advice.
2. Keep promises… even small ones.
3. Be enthusiastic about the success of others.
4. Recognize the potential in others and help them achieve it.
5. Catch people doing things right.
6. Praise the baby steps.
7. Go out of your way for people.

Leadership Principle #22 – Establish Solid Trust Before Offering Advice.

The term “constructive criticism” is an oxymoron.

Think about it… When was the last time someone gave you constructive criticism and you responded with the following?

“Thank you so much for pointing out that mistake for me! If you hadn’t said something, I would have just continued to screw that up. Thank you so much.”

I know, I’m being a bit sarcastic, but it proves a point. Anytime we criticize someone, that person will always hold some resentment against us.

Can we point out the mistakes of others without resentment? Yes, but we must have their solid trust, and they must know that our only concern is their welfare.

EVERY RELATIONSHIP HAS VALUE.

Picture your relationships with others as a check registry. Anytime you have said something positive to or done something positive for the person, add a deposit into the account.

Anytime you have said something negative to or done something negative against that person, register a withdrawal.

When we use the principles in the book, we build a positive trusting relationship with people, so we have a positive balance in this account. However, if we have violated these principles, then our relationship bank account may be way overdrawn.

We’ll probably need to make more deposits before trying to influence these people or change their behavior.

Week #4: Developing Leaders Around You.
Principle #22: Establish Solid Trust before Offering Advice.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-22-establish-solid-trust-before-offering-advice/

In our modern society, the art of giving people a sincere compliment has gone the way of the vinyl record or the Model T. You come across them occasionally, but they are few and far between.

I have asked hundreds of different audiences across the country why they think that we don’t give as many compliments as we probably should (or receive the number of compliments that we probably deserve.) In response, I have heard every answer under the sun. But what I find most often is that we are mainly too self-centered and too busy to take the time to give a sincere compliment to our fellow human beings.

A GOOD COMPLIMENT IS THE OPPOSITE OF FLATTERY

There is also a negative connotation about giving compliments to people. We think of people who give compliments as brown-nosers or kiss-asses. In the modern era, we have confused a sincere compliment with flattery. To most people they are one and the same.

In addition, men are also less inclined to give compliments to female coworkers out of fear of being accused of harassment.

With all these challenges to overcome, most people just don’t bother to compliment one another now. It’s easier just to keep to ourselves.

A GOOD LEADER CAN USE COMPLIMENTS TO SET YOURSELF APART FROM THE CROWD

You can compliment people on what they have. A compliment like this would be something like “Nice tie.”

You can compliment people on what they do. “Thanks for turning in the report early,” is an example.

However, each of these types of compliments has a chance of being seen as insincere.

However, if you give the people around you a compliment based on a strength of character that you notice in them, they will always see the compliment as sincere.

Give them a strength-centered compliment and their confidence will grow. You will also be well thought of by that person.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation.
Principle #21: Give Strength-Centered Compliments.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-21-give-strength-centered-compliments/

Continuing in our Daily Leadership Tip Challenge, this is Week #3 - How to Gain Cooperation from Your Team. And today's principle is #20 Show Sincere Gratitude.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies recently published a paper called “Reasons for Divorce.” It said that the #1 cause of divorce was communication problems resulting in one or both spouses feeling unappreciated.

A company called Bonusly conducted a similar survey of why people leave their jobs. They found that “almost half (46%) of respondents have left a job because they felt unappreciated. Another 65% admitted that they would work harder if they felt like their contributions would be noticed by management.”

MOST PEOPLE ARE STARVING FOR APPRECIATION.

We wouldn’t dream of letting children (or employees) go for days without food. But we’ll let them go years without something just as important, the feeling of being appreciated.

A simple kind word of appreciation is a simple way to build trust, gain cooperation, and anchor positive behavior in others.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation.
Principle #20: Show Sincere Gratitude.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-20-show-sincere-gratitude/

This is day number 19 of our Daily Leadership Tip challenge. This week, we are focusing on ways to gain enthusiastic cooperation from others. Principle #19 is to Ask Questions Instead of Giving Orders.

David was a recent graduate of engineering school and was in his first supervisory position on a construction project. Many of the men who worked with and for him had 10, 15, and even 20 years of experience.

David’s job was to interpret the designs from the architect and get his crew to implement the designs. So, every morning, he would meet with the superintendents and foremen and tell them what they were to do that day.

After a few months, David began to realize that the ideas he brought to the crew typically were either taking a long time to implement or had to be reworked.

David’s general contractor realized what was going on and explained to him that the crew resented being ordered around on the job site. He asked David to begin to ask for the advice of his superintendents and foremen rather than dictating to them.

The difference was like night and day. David began drawing up alternative plans and bringing them to the crew. He would ask their opinion, and nine times out of ten his original idea was the popular choice. The other 10% of the time, David learned valuable insights about design and construction. Things he could have never learned in school. Rework dropped dramatically.

When we order people to do things, they will resent us for telling them what to do. Even if there is a great deal of trust, the person being ordered around will typically follow through out of compliance versus cooperation.

However, when we ASK people to do things for us, they will usually respond in a much more positive way. You can have similar results if you ask questions instead of giving orders.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation
Principle #19: Ask Questions Instead of Giving Orders.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-19-ask-questions-instead-of-giving-orders/

Continuing with our Daily Leadership Tip Series, we are in Week #3 -- Gaining Cooperation from Others. This is principle 18, Ask Other People's Opinions.

ASK THE OPINION OF YOUR EXPERTS TO GAIN INSIGHT

When we are under the gun, most of us want to take control and begin to order people around. Since time is short, we want to quicken the pace by just telling people what to do instead of asking them their opinion. When we do this, though, we are often missing an opportunity to gain great insights from the people who are on the front line.

One of the hardest things for young people to realize when they get their first leadership position is that they don’t know everything yet. When we are young, we think that our formal education taught us everything we’d ever need to know.

When we get into the real world and realize that we don’t know it all yet, we want to make sure that no one ever finds out.

TO BECOME AN EXPERT, ASK FOR HELP FROM OTHER EXPERTS

The best thing to do in this situation is to admit that you need help or more information. Most people around you will respect you more.

Captain Christopher J. Courtney in his article called “The Successful Lieutenant” said it well, “It is a cardinal error for a lieutenant to be a ‘know-it-all.’ Nothing turns off the troops faster or brings down morale more than a know-it-all lieutenant… Admitting to your platoon sergeant that you do not know something is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of honesty.”

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation.
Principle #18: Ask Other People’s Opinions.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-18-ask-other-peoples-opinions/

Continuing with our Daily Leadership Tip Series, we are in week #3 to Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation from Our Team. Principle #17 is to Encourage and Facilitate Two-Way Conversation.

You can have more influence over others if you create two-way communication.

One of the most common complaints I hear from front-line employees is that top management does not take their ideas seriously and does not address their concerns. Many companies today have a top-down communication in place that can stifle creativity and build resentment in front-line employees.

Many of these employees have ideas that could revolutionize the company, but far too often, the ideas are overlooked because the people at the top are too focused on the status quo.

Those dialogues that we create with the people who work for us can provide us with valuable information – both good and bad. This information is critical in helping us make solid decisions in the marketplace.

If you want to influence others in a positive way, take a lesson from Oprah and McDonald’s and create dialogues rather than monologues.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation
Principle #17: Encourage and Facilitate Two-Way Communication.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-17-encourage-and-facilitate-two-way-conversations/

Continuing with our Week #3 Daily Leadership Tips, Principle #16 is to Show Enthusiasm and Energy.

Have you ever noticed that the most successful people in just about any industry are the early risers? Ben Franklin called this group of people the “Six O’clock Club.”

Franklin spent the first hour of his day planning the events of his day (to do this he invented the Franklin Planner) and reading. He often claimed that the first hour of his day was the most important.

How does this relate to raising your own energy level? We have a choice every morning when we wake up. Do I want to hit the snooze bar a few times, or do I want to put some energy and enthusiasm into my day?

Frank Bettger, in his book How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling, said that if he had to narrow down to one thing why he has been so successful, it would be enthusiasm.

ENTHUSIASM IS A SECRET TO SUCCESS.

His enthusiasm was what moved him from a “second rate bush-league making $25 a week” to the starting shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. His enthusiasm was also what transformed him from a washout in sales to the most successful insurance agent of his time.

Where did his enthusiasm come from?

He says that he didn’t have any enthusiasm in the beginning, but he faked it. He acted like he was enthusiastic, and behold he was. After a few successes, the enthusiasm came easy.

Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation.
Principle #16: Show Enthusiasm and Energy.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-16-show-enthusiasm-and-energy/

In our Daily Leadership Series, we are starting Week #3: Gain Enthusiastic Cooperation from Others.

Many of this week’s principles will help you gain cooperation from others. The only way to get people to do things for you is to get them to WANT to do things for you.

Most people have an eager want to be accepted by others or want to be esteemed by their peers. So, if we can show people how what we want them to do will help them become more of a part of the team, then they will usually enthusiastically do what we ask.

These are the 7 things that you can do to gain cooperation from others.

1. Acknowledge the importance of other people.
2. Show enthusiasm and energy.
3. Encourage and facilitate two-way conversations.
4. Ask other people’s opinions.
5. Ask questions instead of giving orders.
6. Show sincere gratitude.
7. Give strength-centered compliments.

Leadership Principle #15: Acknowledge the Importance of Other People.

Most people have one defining need that very rarely gets satisfied. Many of us will move Heaven and Earth to satisfy this need. This one attribute is the single most motivating factor that leads to success. It is the need – the want – to feel important.

The person who can satisfy this need in others, the person who can sincerely make other people feel important, can be very influential and is typically regarded by others as a good leader.

This principle sounds like common sense, but it’s uncommon in practice. Many relationships have ended with one party feeling slighted by the other, and neither side is big enough to make amends. And the longer we wait, the more the problem festers.

Two managers were recently consulted about a very sticky problem that had surfaced. The senior manager offered a suggestion to the boss that sounded reasonable. However, the more junior manager disagreed. Then, in front of other staff members, he told everyone why the idea wouldn’t work.

After a few weeks, the junior manager noticed that tasks that had usually been completed in a timely manner by the other manager were taking an unusually long time. He knew why. So, he pulled the other manager aside and offered an apology.

The senior manager’s face got very crimson, and he exploded. He cursed. He screamed. The junior manager just let him vent and apologized again. The senior manager stopped, apologized for his outburst, and afterward, things pretty much went back to normal.

Realize that if the junior manager had apologized quickly, the outburst probably wouldn’t have occurred. The longer that a problem or argument festers, the more damage will develop in the relationship. So, mend fences with those you have wronged, and do it quickly.

Week #2: Conflict Resolution
Principle #14: Mend Fences Whenever Possible.

https://www.leadersinstitute.com/daily-leadership-tip-14-mend-fences-whenever-possible/