Melody Beattie once said: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.” A leader should consider appreciating the efforts and contributions of the team members. We always should find time to highlight the achievements and accomplishments of the staff members. Such motivation makes a great difference in their performance. Leaders should always encourage the staff members to share their milestones and aspiration. Meetings should not only focus on performance revision, strategic planning, or highlighting performance gaps. Listening to staff concerns and complains really matters. Leaders should always dedicate time to allow the staff members to share practice “active listening” and “reflection”.

Over the years I have learned that the best way to ensure all staff feels valued is by caring and having one on one sessions with each and everyone of the employees always emphasizing their strengths while guiding them to be successful in areas in which they need support. Work with them hand in hand. Never ask them to do something that you as an individual cannot do! Value differences and praise commonalities & individual strengths!

Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. Be present, care, be kind, know your people, listen empathically & listen more than you speak, seek first to understand then to be understood, think win-win, act with integrity, be a learner not a knower, focus on strengths not weaknesses, empower others, delegate with trust, be vulnerable, encourage staff to look after self &family first, monitor & support staff health & wellbeing, make expectations clear and model them consistently, co-construct with your team/s, build capacity, implement Blanchard’s model of situational leadership & Tuckman’s theory of group development, provide structures & resources for genuine collaboration, remember the standard you walk past is the standard you accept….