“Trade, commerce and the economy are not about money. They are about human beings…The economy is the result of human efforts, thoughts, creativity, attitude, knowledge, connectivity, emotions and personality. Therefore, inspire and empower everyone around.” – Adapted from Sara Al Madani, leading UAE female entrepreneur.
The idea that people are the most valuable resource of organisations shows up in business books, MBA programmes and the agenda of HR conferences. Company reports and advisory manuals echo the importance of people. There are numerous voices about how vital people are to organisational success. Yet, there is a gap between what is spoken and what is practised. This gap is a leadership gap not a generic or organisational one. After all, it is leaders that inspire people to greater performance. Consequently, an effective leadership dipstick should test whether leaders are people-ready.
The most machine-intensive businesses have to be organised by people and defective machines have to be repaired by people. Leaders use human resources to get results but fall short in being people-ready. Leaders learn from experience that leading people is not one-size-fits-all but a dynamic blend of several actions and behaviours. In this article, we explore five ways for leaders to be people-ready.
Set the example for others
For leaders to be people-ready, they must be willing to demonstrate their talk. After the script of a play has been written, it is only fully expressed when it unfolds on stage through actors. Leading the way is not merely to write the script but to translate it to action. A people-ready leader consistently displays the behaviours that are expected of constituents.
When leaders fall short of action by example, the people they lead fall short of action by results. The best way to expect something from others is to show that you have done it or at least are willing to do it. In using a leadership dipstick, leaders have to ask themselves whether the results they are getting emerge from their own conduct and example. It is to look in the mirror and be truthful to oneself about the mirror’s reflection and message.
Inspire people
To inspire is to take what is inside of people and transmit it productively to the outside. To inspire others is not the exclusive preserve of some gifted people, but a behaviour that leaders can deliberately learn. We can all inspire people. What differs is how we apply our personalities to the process.
What I have learnt, experienced and applied includes being clear about the vision, consistently communicating it and taking people beyond their immediate needs to more noble pursuits. People generally want to be a part of an exciting and fruitful journey. This is amply demonstrated in the variety of pursuits that people all over the world engage in. From the lone hunter of game to the exuberant bungee jumper, each one is inspired by something. What inspires one person may not inspire another but we are all seeking to be inspired to do greater things. Leaders should actively develop the capacity to extract what is inside people. True leaders, according to Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, “have an uncanny way of enrolling people in their vision through their optimism…for them, the glass is not half-full, it’s brimming.”
Enable people
People-ready leaders understand that individuals may either feel enabled or disabled. When people feel disabled, they cannot bring their best to work. Patrick Lencioni highlights one of three signs of a miserable job as anonymity. He concludes that, “People who see themselves as invisible, generic, or anonymous cannot love their jobs, no matter what they are doing.”
It is the responsibility of leaders to translate people from anonymity to celebrity. Without downplaying the need for self-motivation, human beings want to show up at work with a sense of worth about themselves and what they do. Such an atmosphere is an intentional creation of leaders not an imaginary occurrence. People-ready leaders are deliberate enablers of those they relate with.
Challenge people
Research has shown that people mostly deliver their best results when the challenge is greatest. Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi, a renowned psychology professor refers to this optimal state of intrinsic motivation as flow. Leaders should strive to get people into the flow. Apart from challenging their constituents to exceed themselves, people-ready leaders are constantly shifting the norms and searching for new and improved ways to do things. Without a desire to elevate change, leaders and their followers get stuck in wasteful routines.
Appreciate and celebrate people
People-ready leaders appreciate and celebrate people and the outcomes that are delivered through them. Appreciation makes people feel valued by leaders and conveys the energy for greater engagement. Celebration frames the minds of employees about the importance of efforts and results. James Kouzes and Barry Posner offer a practical suggestion to make heroes of other people, publicize the output of team members and cast the spotlight on at least one person each day.
Leaders should take regular dipstick tests to be increasingly people-ready. People-ready leaders are more likely to get better results from their activities.
Weyinmi Jemide
Jemide is a certified master coach and currently a doctoral candidate in applied leadership and coaching. He writes every Tuesday in BusinessDay
