Thursday, 09 July 2009

• Appreciation as key to leadership

  Appreciation

  Keys to leadership

   

  A simple note can change a person's perspective. I got a small note from my customer today on a report I wrote. It read: "You've done great on doc and captured the thinking and criteria clearly. Well done" Simple and to the point. I enjoyed reading it because somebody else had gone through the trouble of writing the note. I am professional and it is expected that if I hand in a report that such a report will be of professional quality. I am a consultant and get paid to do the job. Still here is a person that went out of her way to write a small note to give positive feedback. When we are leaders we often forget how a small acknowledgement of work well done can motivate people.

  In Toastmasters it is one of the first things we learn. The value of evaluation ...or feedback on a task completed. Leaders can have high ideals but can still fail in the small things. Appreciation of the contributions made by those who follow is one of the ingredients of a good leader. Often in political leadership and even business leadership you see people climbing the ladder for their own benefit. Trampling on people just to get to the top. An aggressive style of leadership can be successful for the individual but it often leads to isolation for the leader. The idea is lost and so progress gained becomes a puff of smoke drifting away in the wind.

  The note will not be motivational for everybody. A leader must know the people and know what motivate each member of the team. But such a note is not for me about motivation. When leaders do things to gain more out of the team members then it is no more than egocentric in its motivation. For the true leader it is simply a note of appreciation...nothing more and nothing less. That note  is a message of acknowledgement of the value that was delivered by a person. When last have you given acknowledgement for something somebody did? It is time to stand back and look at the people we interact with on a daily basis our friends, coworkers, family, children etc. and be aware about what value they bring into our lives. Get a note pad and jot down the small things you appreciate about them, write it down and give it to them. It cost almost nothing but it will gain a boost in self confidence and respect in another person. When we begin to see how we can build confidence in other people, then we are truly taking up the role of leadership.

  So my last note to Xangans: "Thank you for always reading and commenting. Your comments are always motivating and encouraging me to write another entry. Thank you"

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