Leading So People Will Follow

Testing Out Your Generosity

If you’re wondering whether those you lead have the resources they need to succeed, the first thing to do is ask them (it’s hard to put yourself in someone else’s shoes without knowing what those shoes are like). Use your listening skills to ask curiosity-based questions and restating to make sure you understand the answers. Manage your self-talk to ensure that you don’t immediately dismiss any requests or concerns as unrealistic or greedy. (By the way, this is an excellent practice to engage in regularly. As a leader, it’s easy to get out of touch with your employees’ day-to-day jobs and their needs and constraints, and therefore fail to support them with necessary resources.)

If they do have requests for more or ...