Keepin’ It Real- A Lesson for Leaders

Whether you are a business owner, manager, trainer,etc…there is one thing that will immediately help you to gain the respect and adoration of your employees. Believe it or not, IT IS NOT YOUR TITLE. You have to be very careful not to portray yourself as being a “know-it all.”

People will always identify with somebody who is real, genuine, and touchable. This attribute is of the utmost importance as a manager. You have to remember that your title alone brings tension to the relationship between you and your subordinates. You do not want to add any extra fuel to that fire.

You have to also be sure to present yourself as someone who knows the job well but does not know everything. It is always better to voice your understanding of something and offer an opportunity for insight than to be publicly proven wrong. Give employees the respect that they deserve with the understanding that each of them is better than you at something. Your title does make you an authority on something, but it does not make you an authority on everything. So lean on the strengths of your employees and do not allow your ego to cause you to obscure them at things that they do better than you.

Lastly, realize that your promotion and position is a blessing and not proof of supreme intelligence. There are usually people beneath you who are smarter and more qualified than you. If you understand and respect that, you won’t have a problem keeping your ego in check. We all struggle at times with trying to be “reachable” and maintain respect. What I have come to find out is that it all falls into place quite naturally when you don’t identify people by a position(including yourself).

When you do this, it is much easier to just be a person. The real you. The one that your mother knows. The one with flaws. That’s who people want to work for!

In closing I’ll say this, through accomplishment we all struggle to stay humble. If we can learn not to let people or things elevate our self-awareness, we will live a much more fulfilling life. And the amazing thing is that by allowing ourselves to be ourselves, we not only become better people but we become better leaders. Crazy concept, but I have found it to be true. So don’t learn this lesson the hard way. Just make a conscious effort to “Keep It Real.”

Also See: Managing By Force