What behaviors should a leader have or not have

This week I tweeted a question “What does a leader look like” The replies came pouring in.
Actually that was the biggest response that week. It makes no different how much you love your job or the rank on your shoulder if you do not know how to lead and empower your staff/workers. You will not lead long.
Unfortunately, you can’t stop people from being mean or rude or whiny, because you cannot control people! However, you CAN control one thing…YOU control your own thoughts & actions.
In the years I have been in business & nursing I have seen many types of leadership – some of them are good hearted people who truly want to see other people succeed. Then I have seen others that draw people in for greedy reasons of their own. It really doesn’t take long to see who they are.
I want to hear from you today – What is a leader to you?? It is simple Click here now to reply

The Results from the tweet:

Humility
Motivator
Being a Role Model for Integrity & Ethics
Demonstrating Optimism
Positive Energy
Encourager

If you want to empower, engage, or motivate others, don’t just focus on increasing your positive behaviors. Pay attention to what you need to stop doing as well. Why? Because people remember the bad more than the good.

Judgmental, non-verbal body language.

No one, especially your successful colleagues, can tolerate perceived condescension. Somewhere between 75 to 90 percent of our impact comes from our non-verbal communication.

My students have always ask me when we tour the hospital “what is it you do that makes the patients come and talk to you all the way across the hospital?” I said my body posture is open and positive and I speak to them and look them in the eyes no matter how bizarre the conversation. I brought that same energy to the classroom I now teach in.

The next complaint I hear very often is not being heard by the supervisors and peers. People need to feel like they are valuable or they will shut down. Scared and intimidated employees become easy to lead. They will do what ever it takes to not get caught in the cross fire of Interrupting and interrogating.

There’s been a lot of buzz recently around how to have “conversations that drive innovation” and how to “create safe environments for employees to bring their ideas forward.” It’s almost impossible for people to feel safe if the boss takes up most of the airtime, cuts people off, or interrogates half-baked ideas.

Staff often comment on how discouraging it is to see a colleague act in two very different ways — absolutely charming with the executive team while being disrespectful to those they work with every day.

The feeling of walking on eggshells at work, wondering who is going to show up: “smiling, charming, funny person” or “judgmental, intense, snapping person.” Over time, this drives passive aggressive responses from others in their attempt to avoid confrontation. Have you ever felt this way with a co-worker?

Negative behaviors ultimately diminish the legacy we leave behind – people say they don’t care what others think of them but we all care what others whisper when we are not around.

What are you leaving behind?

Leaders must remember that many of the best insights on how to fix a company lie with employees further down the org chart. Creating a trusting, honest dialogue with these key personnel should be every new leader’s top priority.

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