How do you show leadership when building relationships?

As a leader, effective communication is essential. Avoid unnecessary jargon and focus on: ✔️ Clear communication ✔️ Thoughtful word choice ✔️ Using examples ✔️ Empathy and respect for the listener

Strong leaders build strong relationships. 🤝 While technical skills are important, I believe connecting authentically with people is the real key to leading teams effectively. My approach: Listen first, with empathy and without judgment. Understand motivations, challenges, and goals. Then find shared purpose to unite. 👥 I aim to create psychologically safe environments where everyone feels valued and empowered to do their best work. Trust, vulnerability, and compassion enable people to take smart risks and grow. 💪 Leaders serve, not dictate. Its about clearing barriers, providing support, and fostering collaboration. The people are the true heroes. I simply strive to have their backs. 🦸

I would say that listening for understanding is an approach that has always been beneficial in building relationships. I want to know the strengths, challenges, and aspirations of my colleagues. Successful team building is always top of mind for me. When applicable this allows me to create more engaging practices while providing better support, and positioning colleagues on teams that are a win-win for the organization and the individuals. Colleagues are talented individuals who appreciate integrity, authenticity, and being valued in words and actions.

I totally agree with this. When leaders are clear and concise it makes the transfer of information smoother. You may also check for understanding just to ensure that there's no ambiguity.

An under-appreciated way is caring about your coworkers in a way that extends the confines of performance and efficiency. Checking in, asking them about their pets/kids/hobbies. Interpersonal connection builds the strongest relationships and creates the best environments not only to foster loyalty but to be trusted as a leader.

Whenever there is a group of people coming together, it is always important to start with getting to know each individual first: 1. What is this person’s life story? 2. What are their goals? 3. How might I help them, directly or indirectly? These above three questions may have nothing to do with the “OKRs” or project at hand. Nonetheless, these are the critical factors of leadership and OKR/project success. At the end of the day, people will not care about us - unless they trust that we care about them. People will not care about our goals - unless they trust that we care about theirs.

In building new relationships, mirroring is a a critical skill in my view. My "norm" may not be her/his "norm", and showing such respect is almost always a good recipe to avoid possible cultural confrontations from the start. Mirroring involves a lot of active listening and a real willingness to appreciate and respect the other and her/his differences. This takes time, and not going too fast in building new relationships is important.

Empathetic listening really works for me. I wanted to make them feel that I genuinely care. Specifically with health care employees with high risk of compassion burn out.

One of the best practices to follow when showing leadership while building relationships is active listening. Active listening involves giving your full attention to the person you're communicating with, understanding their perspective, and responding thoughtfully. This practice fosters trust, empathy, and mutual understanding, which are crucial components of effective relationship-building. Practical Examples: * Never check your phone while you are listening. * Maintain eye contact, nod in agreement, and use facial expressions to show that you're fully engaged in what each person is saying. *When team members share their insights, paraphrase and reflect back on their main points to confirm your understanding.

Active listening has been a forgotten skill in leadership. When put into this position, most employees feel that they were only heard and not listened to. The biggest part of active listening is not only waiting for the pause or period to say what you wanted to say irregardless of what was said previously. *Give the person time and space to express themselves. *Repeat back paraphrases of what they said *Ask questions *Answer theirs and get your answers respectfully *Always remember that he or she is a human, like you. My mother would always say treat people how you want to be treated. I think you should listen to people like you’d listen to your loved ones. Great leaders know how to communicate better by listening better.

Giving and receiving feedback is a two-way street that not only fosters personal and professional growth but also strengthens team dynamics. By expressing appreciation and recognition, we boost morale and motivation. Offering constructive suggestions helps in skill development and problem-solving. Inviting and accepting criticism, when done constructively, demonstrates humility and a commitment to improvement. It's a powerful tool for building trust, promoting honest communication, and cultivating a culture of continuous learning and development within a team or organization.

Stay Open-Minded: Approach the discussion with a willingness to learn and improve. Remember that feedback is an opportunity for growth. Ask for Clarification: If something isn't clear or you need more details, ask questions to fully understand the feedback. For example, "Could you provide an example of when my communication could have been clearer?" Express Appreciation: Regardless of the nature of the feedback, thank your manager for taking the time to provide insights on your performance. Reflect and Plan: After the discussion, take time to reflect on the feedback. Identify areas for improvement and develop a plan to address them. This could involve seeking additional training, setting specific goals, or working with a mentor.

In my experience, feedback can be perceived as a terrifying practice, due to the fact that I have witnessed, how people can be very sensitive about their imperfections within a working environment. Therefore, through my experience it is important to take into consideration the following aspects when receiving and giving feedback: 1. Its imperative to ensure that you analyze performance and not behaviour. 2. Do not take feedback as a personal attack, embrace it as a learning experience. 3. Ensure feedback is clear or concise, as mixed feedback with positive and negative elements can be perceived as confusing. 4. Finally, its important to perceive feedback as tool used not only for professional growth, but also for personal growth.

I like to follow the Netflix 4 model as the guiding framework when it comes to feedback; 1. Aim to Assist 2. Make it Actionable 3. Show Appreciation, and 4. Choose to Accept or Discard. Aim to Assist, emphasizes the importance of providing genuinely helpful and constructive feedback. Rather than criticizing someone for pointing out flaws, the goal should be to offer insights and suggestions that will enable the recipient to improve and grow. That is why feedback must be in an actionable format. When on the receiving end, remember that we all as humans will first have a guarding reaction. That is when you need to be conscious of your natural reaction, and make sure to carefully listen and appreciate the feedback.

A leader enlightened his followers to concentrate on their outward actions by abstaining from indulging in activities that are devoid of knowledge and wisdom. Actions such as hurting others, invalid means of living, self - projection, exaggeration(falseshood), loose talk etc

Adapting leadership to different styles and situations is a hallmark of effective leadership. This practice, often referred to as situational leadership, recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to leading a team or organization. Instead, it involves tailoring your leadership style to match the specific needs, characteristics, and challenges presented by varying situations and individuals. Situational leadership draws inspiration from the concept that effective leaders are like chameleons, capable of changing their colors to blend into different environments. This approach is grounded in the idea that the same leadership style might not be equally effective across diverse scenarios.

Brining Harmony: A martial artist was watching his students practice. He noted that one of his students was having trouble perfecting his technique, as he was nervous about the presence of other students around him. The master took the student to a nearby stream and said in a gentle tone, "Observe the stream. There are so many rocks around it and on its way, but do you see it smashing into them out of frustration?. Rather, it is making its way around them. You will know what harmony is, if you are like water". The student followed the masters/leader's advice , and soon, he was unnoticed by what the others were doing. In this way, in a short time, he became proficient in executing the moves and techniques.

Leadership is essentially understanding the different backgrounds and lived experiences of people. To be a great leader, it's important to treat everyone on your team fairly, no matter their background, gender, or how they grew up. It’s especially crucial to understand these nuances when leading diverse teams. Dynamics and motivations can suddenly change if you don't pay attention to how people on your team like to communicate or even feel comfortable and safe to open up. Adapt pace, velocity, and style in a way that suits them, and be ready to change as needed. This shows you respect differences, can adapt, and are creative when leading.

Building trust and rapport is a vital leadership skill. It means being dependable, honest, supportive, and friendly. For instance, a leader who consistently delivers on promises and openly communicates with their team creates an environment where trust thrives. This trust, in turn, encourages open discussions, fosters collaboration, and ultimately leads to team success.

Building trust and rapport is essential for effective relationships and leadership. Trust forms the foundation of successful interactions, while rapport enhances mutual understanding. To apply this: Consistency: Keep promises and follow through on commitments. Consistency breeds reliability and demonstrates integrity. Empathy: Understand and share others' feelings. Empathy cultivates emotional connection and shows you care about their perspectives. Transparency: Be open about intentions, decisions, and challenges. Transparency builds credibility and reduces suspicion. Feedback: Give constructive feedback respectfully. Feedback promotes growth and signifies your investment in their development.

Be consistent in your interactions. Whether it's following up on a promise or maintaining regular communication, consistency shows reliability – a key trait of a leader. Encourage open dialogue. Address concerns, provide feedback, and be open to receiving the same. Transparent communication eliminates misunderstandings and fosters trust. A true leader uplifts others. Recognize the strengths of those you're building relationships with and provide opportunities for them to shine. By empowering them, you not only boost their confidence but also reinforce the mutual respect in the relationship.

To resolve conflicts and problems: Identify Issues: Understand the root causes and parties involved. Listen Actively: Hear all perspectives without judgment. Stay Calm: Maintain composure and avoid escalating emotions. Communicate: Express concerns clearly and respectfully. Collaborate: Brainstorm solutions together. Compromise: Find a middle ground through give-and-take. Seek Mediation: Involve a neutral third party if needed. Implement Solution: Agree on action steps and follow through. Reflect: Analyze outcomes for future improvement. Learn: Use conflicts as opportunities to grow and learn.

The leader must be a good listener and since he is leading the team, he must listen to all. Leader must be calm and cool tempered who can manage the team efficiently without losing his cool, and he must try understand his subordinates in every possible manner because not all figured of hand are same but when brought together the hand can do wonders.

When conflicts arise in your team, it's easy to escalate the issue and get everyone worked up. Instead , try resolving the conflict in a calm, person to person way. Explain what you are doing, why you are doing it , and how it will help the team overall.

More than merely giving and receiving feedback, helping people recognize and communicate the unique value they bring to the table is a fantastic way to build stronger relationships. How to do it? Here are a few examples: by putting contributions into the big-picture perspective, joining the dots from individual tasks to business success and social impact, while creating opportunities to grow, fail, learn and succeed.

Remote work is an increasingly popular arrangement, and it is important to let employees choose the work arrangement that best suits their individual needs. Forcing employees to work in the office when they would be more productive at home is a mistake. Instead, employers should provide employees with the flexibility to work remotely or in the office, as they see fit. This will help to improve employee satisfaction and productivity

Humor…It can be hot sauce on a hot potato but if used sparingly and appropriately It can be quite a welcome interpersonal snack!

Another skill that effective leaders should work to master is controlling your facial expressions and body language. Whether communication is face to face, via zoom, or over the phone, how your face and body are arranged affects the way in which you and your message are received. Smiling while on a phone call softens and lifts the tone of your voice and helps to avoid sounding harsh or sarcastic. Making brief eye contact with each member of a face to face meeting gives the impression that you are speaking directly to each individual and desire their involvement in the conversation. Placing your camera near eye level for zoom calls allows you to "look" at the team and avoids the impression you are multitasking rather than listening.

Often team members, feel unheard, As their opinion or perspective is not taken into consideration or not even discussed, in such scenarios, a good leader understands what the team must feel and give equal opportunities to listen and hear then out. Once a person feels heard their productivity increases and it's starts showing in their work. Another very important thing that a leader does is acknowledge the efforts of the team, the group , the colleagues. This is again related to the fact that when one gets acknowledged, one feels heard and part of the process of developing something together. It then trickles down to their work and behaviour. Acknowledging someone's effort goes a long way in creating rapport and building relationships.