When you observe great leadership, it stands out.
One of my clients repeatedly offers an opportunity to learn about great leaders and great leadership. I see her once a quarter, and in the one or two days I’m with her I always take note and find myself wanting to be better as a leader and a person.
She does several things consistently which remind me to work on it:
- She calls everyone by their name, and she’s working with 800+ employees. This is consistent when we travel to their branches and she’s interfacing with any employee.
- She knows about people’s families and is current with what’s happening with them.
- She begins most group communication with appreciation for the person’s comment, their courage and repeats back what she’s heard them say before offering her thoughts.
- She is always taking notes, promises specific actions or communication back, and follows up. The teams talk about this and appreciate her for it.
- She notices and acknowledges the team’s work and accomplishments.
- When she delivers constructive feedback, it’s done with care AFTER doing all of the above.
- She’s kind, tough and fair.
I am a work in progress, and she serves as an example of how to lead well for me. I sent her a note today to thank her.
Who do you learn from? Have you told them?