“Leadership Skills that Inspire Incredible Results” by Fred Halstead (Career Press, $16.95).Halstead, with decades of experience as an executive-search consultant and executive coach, believes “respecting other people” makes leaders trusted and effective.He states, “When we show respect for others, we listen more effectively; we teach others to problem solve on their own; we hold them […]
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“Leadership Skills that Inspire Incredible Results” by Fred Halstead (Career Press, $16.95).
Halstead, with decades of experience as an executive-search consultant and executive coach, believes “respecting other people” makes leaders trusted and effective.
He states, “When we show respect for others, we listen more effectively; we teach others to problem solve on their own; we hold them to high expectations thereby building their confidence.” His quote serves as the section dividers of the book.
“Listen more effectively” — When you dominate a conversation, the other parties don't believe you value their input and they tune you out. Listening promotes understanding. Listening involves more than the ears; the speaker's tone, inflections, facial expressions and body language convey meaning, too. To show you're listening while another is talking, send signals like an affirmative nod, a smile or a simple question (as long as it doesn't contain a “but”).
Reinforce the fact you listened by responding using paraphrasing (“As I understand you, … ”) or summarizing (“It sounds to me like you're … ”) what you heard. This keeps the other party engaged and moves the conversation forward.
“Problem-solving on their own and holding them to high expectations” — Paint the big picture with the “what” and the “why.” When it comes to the “how,” ask, don't tell. Thought-provoking, open-ended questions encourage thought-through responses.
Those questions require people to do their homework and recommend a course of action. By emphasizing their responsibility to create solutions (the “how”), you increase their willingness to take initiative. This shows that you respect their ability to produce results, which increases their self-confidence and motivation.
When results are achieved, acknowledge those involved by calling attention to specific things they did. Acknowledgement builds their confidence, which prepares them for their next “how.”
