Thursday 18 August 2016

4 Keys for Leadership Connection

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4 Keys for Leadership Connection

Leadership success is related to a Leader’s ability. The more abilities the leader has, the more likely the Leader is to succeed. One of these abilities required by the Leader is the ability to connect to people. A leader needs to touch the hearts of followers before asking them to put their hands to work.
Many people immediately get defensive when they hear a Leader must “Care”. Visions of getting personally involved in the daily details of others lives, carrying burdens and sharing tears put people off getting involved in “caring”. Although a Leader will share these types of intimate moments with inner circle followers or advisors, it is not necessary for the Leader to become an emotional prostitute and ship wreck their personal lives for the sake of being a caring success.


However, it is essential for a leader to connect to people in a sincere and genuine fashion. Remaining authentic as you forge connections with followers is important, and it will assure people that the connection they have with you is real. So, how does a Leader connect to people in an authentic manner without losing too many nights sleep?
Values are essential part of understanding people’s hopes and dreams. Communicating on a values level is powerful and forms deep connections in short time frame, without causing nightmares. Eliciting and gaining an understanding of people’s values has a double benefit: firstly, it will give you a true understanding of your followers. Secondly it will cause your followers to feel that you understand and believe in them.

It’s one thing to communicate to people because you believe you have something of value to say. It’s another to communicate with people because you believe they have value. People’s opinions of us have less to do with what they see in us than with what we can help them see in themselves. By eliciting their values, you will help people better understand themselves and discover meaning in what it is they do.

Listed below are four keys to connecting to people and eliciting their values:

      1.       Know you own Values before eliciting Values of Others: Understanding who you are, what you stand for, what your values are and how they influence your life and your leadership approach is vitally important before setting out to discover the Values of others. Values affect just about every decision we make in life, so it goes without saying that it is to our own benefit to know our own Values. Understanding that values are different from person to person must give rise to an innate respect for peoples values and differences of value interpretation.

2.       Initiate the Connection process. Don’t wait for people to want to connect to you. Take charge and actively seek connection with the people you serve. Engage them in friendly conversation and get them to a place where they are comfortable talking about their dreams and hopes. Leaders are dealers in Hopes and Dreams. Once the initial connection has been made, make effort to build the relationship from your side.

3.       Be sure to be open and sincere in your communication with others. If you want people to believe you are real – then – BE REAL! Authenticity goes a long way to develop credibility.

4.       Don’t make it about you; make it about them. Have you ever walked away from an interaction with an important somebody thinking that they are so full of themselves that they probably didn’t even hear a word you said? Don’t be that leader. Make it about the other person. Get them talking, find out who they are and what they expect from life, and they will walk away feeling a connection, believing in you!

Asking good questions and being an attentive listener are two essential tools in your Connection Kitbag. Use them as described above to develop strong connections with people that know you care, and feel understood and validated when you are around. Leadership is not about just getting your objectives carried out.
For leaders to be effective, they need to connect with people. Great leaders will recognize this truth and act on it. You can’t move people to action unless you first move them with emotion.  “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” You develop credibility with people when you connect with them and show that you genuinely care and want to help them. And as a result, they usually respond in kind and want to help you.





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