Anybody can be a leader. Really. From top-line CEO to front line employee, anybody can be a leader in your organization. In fact, everyone in your organization should be a leader and should think like a CEO. As authors, Tom Rath and Barry Conchie so eloquently write in Strengths-based Leadership, “A leader charging forward WITHOUT followers is just taking a walk.”
Great leadership involves many factors but one of the most critical discovered by the folks at Strides is giving your followers what they need so that they can feel confident following you. So what should you be giving your team if you want them to follow you – and others to follow them? And how do you encourage your team to step up and be leaders too?
If you haven’t asked yourself this question recently, it’s a good time of the year to do so as you’re working on refining your plans and it’s essential if becoming a better leader is one of your aspirations.
So what do effective leaders give their teams to get them to follow? What do followers actually want from their leaders?
HERE are the four basic needs of followers
1) Trust – The basis of all solid, well-functioning relationships, the ability to trust a leader is essential to cultivate followers – and the one requirement that successful leaders cannot afford to take for granted. In a high-trust environment, not only is there less organizational “chatter”, but tasks will get done more quickly – with a lot less effort and time. But creating a trusting relationship isn’t always simple according to Robert Shaw, the author of “Trust in the Balance”. He outlines three critical factors to consider when determining how trustworthy someone is.
First, a leader needs to deliver results in a quality manner. They need to follow through on business commitments and hold others accountable to their commitments. Second, a leader needs to demonstrate Integrity. They need to behave in a consistent, reliable manner, be open with information and walk the talk when it comes to ethics and values. And third, they need to show concern for others and promote the well-being of their team members. And trust is multiplicative. When any one of these factors is missing, the equation goes to zero.
How are you delivering on the three factors of trust? What would your team members say?
2) Compassion – People want leaders who care about them as people. When people feel as if someone cares, not only are they more engaged and productive, but they’ll stay around longer – certainly something you want as a leader.
What kind of environment are you creating in your organization (company/church?) How do you show your followers that you care about them as people?
3) Stability – Security, strength, support and peace. People want some sense of stability in their work environment which can be challenging for leaders to provide in chaotic times. But this desire echoes the consistency theme that people need in order to trust and knowing that a leader has a firm grip on the rudder even in the midst of a storm promotes “followership”. Financial stability is a crucial part of this need for security – something that can be provided if leaders choose to be open with their plans and especially if there’s some form of Open-Book Management practice in place at the company – even if it’s a work in progress to educate people on the basis of financials so that they can understand what they’re learning.
How are you providing a sense of stability in your church or company? What information are you sharing to give people confidence about the business and how often are you sharing it?
4) Hope – Finally, followers want to know that there are a future and a direction for the organization. The most engaged employees and members are those who have faith in their leaders’ visions, generating both optimism as well as higher productivity. Without hope, uncertainty and paralysis can take the upper hand. And if you’re only working on the day to day, there’s no time to create a bigger picture for your followers.
How are you sharing your vision for the future with your team? When you have an all-hands meeting, do you ask them what they’re hearing? And if you don’t have a vision or if it’s unclear even to you, maybe it’s time to get one!
God bless you.
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