When the pandemic became widespread, I released a statement about the importance of industry leadership and in it wrote this:<\/p>\n
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A business is only as resilient as the leader who guides it; lead with conviction and confidence, focusing on solutions rather than what you can\u2019t control.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n That idea is still applicable today as we continue navigating every challenge presented by the COVID-19 crisis. Strength in this new world is a dichotomous concept; we must be strong as leaders, but we also must instill strength in all those we lead. You become a more influential leader when you give power away.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re wondering how to build your team\u2019s internal strength, here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n Provide opportunities for self-direction and decision-making. <\/strong>The more you empower your team members with the ability to make decisions, the more they\u2019ll gain confidence and competence in the choices they make. When team members can take ownership of their initiatives and implement their ideas, you create a climate where everyone is fully engaged. Your team knows that what they say and do matters critically to the success of the overall organization.<\/p>\n Understand that being in control is a basic human instinct.<\/strong> Power is not about greed or financial gain; it\u2019s about the ability to direct and decide and inspire and influence. People want responsibility and control. They want to know that their work and the decisions they make will positively impact future outcomes. <\/strong><\/p>\n Choice feeds power. <\/strong>A study by researchers at the Delgado Lab for Social and Affective Neuroscience at Rutgers University revealed that choice activates the reward-centric circuits of the brain, making people feel more confident and willing to explore options outside of their comfort zones.<\/p>\n Goals and commitments can create power.<\/strong> By allowing your team members to set their own goals and obligations without influence from a manager or leader, you\u2019re empowering them to decide the trajectory of their success. You\u2019re allowing them to take the initiative and self-direct themselves toward excellence in execution.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry about slackers. <\/strong>It could be argued that by giving your team autonomy, you\u2019re also opening people up for laziness or an inability to execute because there\u2019s no pressure influencing performance. However, slackers will self-select out of a working system with strong leadership and an empowered team. After a while, team members will get tired of doing the slacker\u2019s work, and the slacking member of the team will be forced to step it up or step out.<\/p>\n Invest in strengthening the knowledge and capacity of your team. <\/strong>I\u2019ve long been an advocate for coaching and training, and that has never been truer than it is today when so many excellent mentors and coaches are providing incredible online resources for learning.<\/p>\n Think of yourself as a coach. <\/strong>Some of the best leadership examples come from the world of sports\u2014Bill Walsh, Phil Jackson, Bill Belichick, Vince Lombardi, and Don Shula. All of these great coaches were actively engaged in building the physical and mental strength of their teams. Beyond building strength, another aspect of being a coach is the assessment of robustness.A forward-thinking leader is constantly evaluating team members and asking how best to guide them toward greater competency and fortitude. As Frances Hesselbein, former CEO of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., once said: \u201cAsk, don\u2019t tell.\u201d<\/p>\n So, what\u2019s the message? Leadership is a mindset and a movement toward greater strength within an entire organization, creating empowered team members who feel motivated to perform at their very best. While we\u2019re all at home figuring out how to keep business thriving, let\u2019s remember to focus on helping our team members thrive.<\/p>\n Gino Blefari is CEO of HomeServices of America.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When the pandemic became widespread, I released a statement about the importance of industry leadership and in it wrote this:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15802,"featured_media":4822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3255],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archive"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n