Leadership People Skills: Check Your True Intentions to Prevent Trouble

In this age of employee engagement and participation, leadership people skills are critically important. They can build trust and credibility or damage it. To that end leaders, admit your true intentions to yourself in these situations to ensure that your motives and your actions jive.

• When you ask for feedback. Before you ask employees what they think about you or an initiative you care about etc.., ask yourself, "Why am I asking this? Do I want validation or do I want honest input? How will I react to what I hear? What will I do with this information?" Responding badly to negative responses can destroy future employee engagement. When you are not around them, the conversation will be "S/he only wants a pat on the back and agreement." Don't fall into this trap. Use your leadership people skills to engage honestly with your employees.
• When you are leading change. Before you agree extensively with negative complaints about the change you are leading, ask yourself, "Why am I agreeing? Am I afraid they won't like me because they don't like the change? Do I not believe in the change I am leading?" Empathizing with the effort it will take to achieve the change is good. It leads to valuable how to discussions. Agreeing with true resistors is confusing to everyone. If you don't believe in the change you are leading, why should they? If you believe in the change, then use your belief to help them through it. Don't let your need to be liked be more important than helping them. Leadership people skills communicate how much you care about them.
• When you overlook the high performing self-serving mavericks who don't help the team. Do you talk about the importance of teamwork and then overlook these non team players because they produce individually? Ask yourself, "Why am I not addressing the trouble? Do I really think teamwork is important or do I only care about bottom line results? What message am I sending everyone by this contradiction?" In my work, I have seen this problem repeatedly and counsel the leaders on how to address this issue. Leadership people skills empower you to connect your words and your actions.

Leaders, what you say and what you do must match up. Every time employees see a gap, they question your integrity and honesty. Admit your intentions to yourself. Mind your gaps or you lose trust and credibility.

What gaps have you closed that have improved employee engagement & results?

From my professional experience to your success,

Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach?

Grateful for header image above by Sweet Dreamz Design via Flickr Creative Commons License.

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