Who wouldn’t laugh at cute baby pictures? While these will make you smile – let’s consider the leadership lessons we could draw from them.
Seek out ideas from others.
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone saw the world through your eyes? Unrealistic expectation! One of the most important leadership lessons is realizing that not everyone sees things the way you do. When it comes to decision making, that can be a positive. It’s often the case that better decisions are made with input from others. In fact, leaders who excel are those who practice the art of “making the ask.” Yes – ask! Get your team together and seek others’ ideas. Most people can contribute, given the chance. You may get great ideas from their perspective or experience. Don’t go it alone when you don’t have to.
It’s okay to say “I don’t know.”
We ALL get stumped once in a while. Leaders are no exception. Research shows that even those in the C-Suite will admit there are times when they say to themselves, “Ooh, I hope no one will find out I’m questioning my decision.” “What if people sense I’m not sure?” “What should I say when I don’t have all the answers?” Well, guess what — that’s being human! Especially in times of change, it’s okay to say “I don’t know,” followed by “When I do know, I’ll let you know.” Take heart and be real. We don’t need leaders who are robots.
Be cautious with the cooler talk.
With so much polarization today, it’s easy to offend someone. So, be cautious with the cooler talk. Don’t be shocked when you land on a subject and someone else has a totally opposite point of view. It’s not worth it to argue. It’s more important to not alienate a colleague – or friend.
It seems to me that this little gal is listening…really listening.
What does “really listening” look like?
There are several levels of listening depending on the article or research. Some say three levels, some say four or five. I’ll go with this site that describes four levels of listening in an easy and practical way.
Now it’s your turn to have fun with this. Send me your caption ideas for the four pictures above and receive Valerie’s Business Behavior Tips from A to Z.
You might also be interested in the leadership traits that can be learned from my granddog, Gunnar.
