LEADING WITH A HEART FOR THE PEOPLE

holding heart

Leaders who will make great impact are those who will be interested in the people they lead. Your leadership must translate to the transformation of the people God has positioned you to lead. People are not just resources. They are much more than that. People are assets whose value can experience an astronomical increase over time depending on the allowance given by the leader. Your heart for the people will determine the extent to which they will be ready to go for you. Your interest in the people you lead will determine their level of passion in the assignments you have committed into their hands. Seest thou a leader interested in the development of his people, he will not only achieve results, he will break existing records.

I refer again to my favourite quote by Theodore Roosevelt: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” The only time people will give themselves willingly to you is when they can identify that you have genuine interest in them. You can’t get the best from people when you are not concerned a bit about them. You take up a managerial role and you discover that your team members have not been promoted for years but all you care about is meeting the target, you have never engaged them to know how to ensure each one gets the promotion he deserves. Unknown to you, you will only get the best from such staff when you are able to solve his pain points. Some of your team members don’t have the necessary work tools which invariably has been affecting their output negatively. However, their challenges are not on your priority list. You need to solve these issues first, for you to get the best from them.

Leadership that prioritizes empathy, humanity and the well-being of the team members achieve great results. It is a leadership that is selfless and desires the best for the team members. Such leaders create a supportive and inclusive environment where each team member has a sense of belonging. Each member of the team can open up about his interests as open communication is encouraged. When you demonstrate these attributes, you increase team member engagement, you foster a stronger bond and you ensure creativity amongst team members. An atmosphere like this enhances the secretion of the “feel good” hormone called dopamine. The dopamine hormone improves memory and attention span. It enhances the individual sense of motivation to work. It stabilizes mood and improves learning. There are so much benefits in creating an environment where team members feel comfortable and motivated. It always results in great results.

When you have a heart for the people you lead, you must inspire them by your words and actions. The words you say have a lasting impact on your team members. Your words and actions carry weight in the sight of the people you are leading. These two can shape any organization or country. You will be surprised that your words will still be ringing in the heads of your associates in the next ten years. This is because people will rarely forget how you make them feel. You can use your words to inspire your team to greatness. Avoid using derogatory remarks on your team members. Don’t keep quiet when you need to speak and encourage them. This can be depressing. Likewise, don’t speak when you are to be silent. That also has its damaging effect. There are times remarks from you are not necessary based on the circumstances.

Words and actions matter a lot in leadership. The old adage says: “Actions speak louder than words”. That shows how important actions are to leaders. The best leaders use their words and actions to influence and persuade their team members. Ensure consistency in your words and actions. Develop a heart for your team members. Show genuine interest in them. Let them know that you are interested in them. Inspire them with your words and actions. The level of output you get from them is a function of your heart towards them.

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