This week our focus is on the deliberate leader attribute, Encouragement.
To encourage is to help someone feel confident and able to do something. It’s no surprise that the word “courage” is there.
In the first year of my first Board role, we had an external review of the Board. I eagerly awaited feedback from the reviewer, like I did when I worked for others in corporate roles. The reviewer gave positive feedback. They even encouraged me to not be limited by my own mindset about being the least experienced Director on the Board. It didn’t matter. What I contributed was as valuable as any of the other Directors. The reviewer encouraged me to embrace the role fully and step into it like any of the other Directors. It was powerful feedback. It encouraged me to assume the role fully and not feel held back based on my limited Director experience. I felt strengthened and trusted when I received this feedback and as a result it positively impacted my confidence and contribution.
Encouragement is the cornerstone of effective leadership, enabling and motivating team members to reach their full potential. It involves offering positive reinforcement and fostering belief in their capabilities, creating an environment where individuals thrive. As a leader, you are how you lead, shaping the culture and atmosphere within your team.
Encouragement isn’t about criticising or using guilt and shame to drive results. Instead, it’s about inspiring, uplifting, and supporting individuals towards their goals and aspirations. It’s providing positive reinforcement, fostering a growth mindset, and instilling confidence in team members or those under your guidance.
Recognising and acknowledging the efforts and achievements of individuals is crucial. Offering praise and appreciation for progress motivates and empowers the team. Constructive feedback should be delivered in a way that motivates rather than demoralizes, nurturing continuous growth and development.
An encouraging leader inspires belief in potential, setting high expectations and providing support to stretch beyond comfort zones. They foster a positive team culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and challenges as stepping stones to success. Empowerment, resilience, and enthusiasm are cultivated within the team, inspiring individuals to take risks and overcome obstacles.
However, it’s essential to recognise when improvement is needed.
Signs that you may need to work on being more encouraging include:
🔸 Delivering harsh feedback lacking empathy
🔸 Expecting perfection
🔸 Creating a culture intolerant of mistakes
Instead, to be an encouraging leader focus on:
🔸 Setting clear expectations
🔸 Promoting accountability
🔸Varying how you encourage and motivate team members
Upcoming Events
World of Work Lunch
Psychosocial Hazards- a Leader’s role 6 June 2024 (Melbourne)
This is a special networking event for HR Leaders. Small, intimate, and filled with in-depth conversation, these events provide an opportunity to learn from other HR Leaders and build your network. This focus of our conversation will be managing psychosocial hazards in our workplaces and we are excited to welcome our special guest, Mark Butler. Mark is a mental health expert and strategist. He works with high-performing teams and leaders under high pressure, and in fast-moving environments to help create sustainable peak performance.
For more information and to register, please click here 👈🏻
Upcoming Deliberate Leader Workshops
Over three hours these workshops are designed to build your capability and skills in areas that are fundamental to deliberate leadership.
👉🏻Strategic Visioning Workshop
👉🏻 Leading Change And Transformation Workshop
Visit our website at https://ritacincotta.com/events/ for more details and upcoming events.
Thanks for subscribing to my weekly insights. Here are some other ways we can work together:
💬 One-on-one coaching
🎯 Leadership development and training
🎤 Book me as a Speaker or MC for your next event
