The Power of Encouragement

3 minute read

How often do you encourage the engineers on your team to continue their pursuits?

And how often do you discourage them?

As we go through changes, we are also going through transitions – the inner psychological process to adopt and adapt to that change. And part of any transition is the phase when we question ourselves and our abilities to succeed at something (even as small as attending all the meetings on our calendar today), and thus we feel insecure, anxious and uncertain.

So, having someone we look up to, someone more experienced, more seasoned and well respected tell us to “keep going” matters.

But the opposite is also true. We also listen and act upon them telling us to “move on to something else”.

As an engineering leader, how you view new ideas and how you talk about them to your team (and to your family and friends) can make or break someone’s confidence in continuing to pursue new learnings, new possibilities and new opportunities.

Let me illustrate with a story.

“In 1896, Thomas Edison, the great inventor of the electric bulb, was working on a car design when he learned that a young man in his company had created an experimental car.

Edison met this young man, Henry Ford, at a company party in New York and was thoroughly impressed by his gasoline-powered car idea.

Edison, who had been considering electricity as a power source, enthusiastically encouraged Ford, saying, "Young man, that's the thing! You have it! I think you are on to something! I encourage you to continue your pursuits!"

Encouraged by the respected inventor, Henry Ford continued his work, eventually inventing a car that made him wealthy.

On December 9, 1914, Edison's laboratory and factory were destroyed by fire. At 67 years old, the damage was too extensive for insurance to cover. Before the ashes were cold, Henry Ford handed Edison a check for $750,000 with a note saying Edison could have more if needed.

In 1916, Ford relocated his home next to Edison's. When Edison was later confined to a wheelchair, Ford also got a wheelchair so they could race each other.

Thomas Edison made Henry Ford believe in himself, creating a friendship for life.”

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How often do you put out others’ fire by telling them their ideas won’t work? How often do you encourage them to see what real obstacles are standing in their way and prepare them to face them with confidence?

How often do you believe people have the resilience to find solutions to any problems they face? How often do you feel like you have to save them early from failure?

I invite you to reflect for a minute on how you approach others’ enthusiastic pursuit for things that right now might seem unrealistic to you.

What you believe and how you respond as a leader matters. Make sure those two align with how you want to show up and who you want to be as a leader. ?

I encourage you to be the leader who believes other will not only “win the race but win by breaking the world record”.

?Thanks for listening,

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This is exactly the kind of friendship I imagine will form at The Place .

No competition. No being better than the other person. No derailing others.

The Place is the place to lift, support and believe in each other. To succeed together.

Together is not a concept. It’s a feeling of confidence, support and trust.

So apply today to join. We start on Nov. 12th.