Does your leadership style include a circle of care? I have found that to be an effective leader, we need to commit to supporting the growth of people and not just systems, products, or processes. Where traditional leadership training often falls short is that it begins with a focus on other people. I propose that it needs to (instead) start with a focus on oneself. How can leaders be truly aware of others if they're not aware of themselves? How can they be wise about the needs of others if they're not wise about their own?
But true leaders don't focus only on themselves. They broaden their circle of care. They inspire and lift others up to their highest potential by looking at them as individuals with their own strengths and aspirations. When we understand the personal, we can better understand the interpersonal—the relationships within and between teams, our organizations, and our clients.?
5? Ways to broaden your circle of care:
- Understand aspirations: Our goal-setting process focuses on personal reflection and aspirations. As a company and team, we can work together to support each team member by learning more about the individual. For example, we ask questions such as, "What do you want to accomplish this year, personally and professionally?" Understanding the personal as well as the professional enables a deeper understanding.
- Play to personal and team strengths: Understanding each person's strengths and weaknesses is crucial to formulating teams that accurately match these strengths and ensure you create the best possible teams. Each new hire completes a DISC assessment, which shows us traits such as attention to detail, compliance, and personality. After we review that information and understand their personal aspirations, we work to find them the best possible role on the team. We are highly specialized, and these internal and external insights provide the input we need to place people in positions that allow them to shine. People are much happier when they are doing something that makes their heart sing.
- Allow for open communication: Create a culture where communication is allowed and encouraged at all levels. We set the groundwork for open communication during recruitment and again upon hire. I check in with each person twice during the first month and then monthly throughout the year. We also have a mentoring program, so each person has an assigned supervisor and mentor. And because we have a culture in which our people want to help others be successful, everyone pitches in to make new people feel comfortable. With starting in this heart-warming environment, open communication continues as people feel comfortable reaching out to anyone, no matter their level within the organization.
- Insist on life/work balance: With our teams being remote, it is critical that people can separate the two. My favorite example of work/life balance is when someone is out of the office; we encourage others to email or contact them only when they return to their available status. My team has a Google Sheet to track all items when someone is out of the office. Another way is to start an email to the person and keep it in draft form until they are back in the office. This way, they have everything in one place versus going through tons of emails.?
- Share in gratitude: Because heartfelt gratitude supports a sense of community, we infuse a culture of gratitude and appreciation in everything we do at Actualize. Genuine appreciation inspires the individual and our teams to continue being outstanding. People want to feel appreciated. We use unsolicited positive feedback as part of our performance bonus funding and showcase it in our monthly newsletter. We also allow team members to nominate each other for Star Player awards. During our monthly all-hands calls, we remind our people to share gratitude daily. We often start or end the meeting by expressing gratitude for others. Gratitude always feels good.?
When it all comes down to it, as a leader, the most solid foundation you can build is from your heart. Leading from the heart is looking at each situation through compassion and kindness and having empathy for each team member. When you lead from your heart, you will get to know your team (whether they report to you or not) and their unique skills and insights. You will show you care in all your interactions, even the difficult ones. Leading with a positive attitude and gratitude will broaden your circle of care and create a thriving workplace culture.
If you are interested in personal coaching to learn how to empower your team and gain renewed energy about turning each day into a fun and productive experience, please message me or visit https://www.zendoway.com/coaching.html for more information.
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