While metrics and mantras are important tools in a team’s effort to meet objectives, research repeatedly shows that the most effective and endearing leaders are encouragers first and foremost.
Encouragement is a specific type of praise focused on behavior regardless of the outcome. It sees the person and the decisions made that are laudable and imports hope into any situation based on that which is praiseworthy or positive.
For example, you see a team member put effort into acquiring a new skill set that served the team well in the acquisition of a new account and say to her, “That skill took tremendous dedication to learn and it made a big difference in us landing that account, thank you for your hard work!”
Now imagine your team didn’t get the account, but you still praise her for the positive character she exhibited and bring hope into the situation based on her contribution by saying, “That took tremendous dedication to learn, and even though we didn’t land this particular account, your efforts have positioned us to gain other new accounts in the future, let’s stay focused!”
Why is encouragement such a game-changer?
1.) Encouragement raises productivity.
Gallup research has found that 67% of employees whose managers communicated their strengths were fully engaged in their work, while only 31% of employees whose managers only communicated their weaknesses were engaged in their work. As leaders we frequently spend untold hours procuring trainings and seminars to improve metrics, but as the German poet and critic Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, “Instruction does much, but encouragement everything."
Great leaders inspire their people by injecting a picture of hope into every challenge. When the focus is on what is praiseworthy in the situation, not particular outcomes, the result is more of what is praiseworthy, which leads to outstanding outcomes overall.
2.) Encouragement forms authentic human connection.
Alfred Lord Tennyson once said, “Come friends, it's not too late to seek a newer world.”
The emphasis here is on the word “friends.” While a leader’s role is different from that of a friend, there nonetheless exists a measure of overlap between the two because authentic human connection is required for both types of relationship. Friends inspire hope by seeing the good in us and bringing it out. So do great leaders.
Do you want to reap the benefits of becoming a more consistent and creative encourager for your team? Our weekly Leadership Lessons are a fantastic tool for helping you up your encouragement game.