Some leaders and managers have been promoted to their position without learning how to lead others.
They take the attitude of policemen, looking to catch people doing something wrong.
This does not get the best from the team, but the minimum performance to not get fired instead, with nobody thinking out of the box and taking extra initiative.
Instead, managers and leaders should seek to develop their people and bring out the best in them. Believe in them – sometimes more than they believe in themselves.
Take the attitude of “I will not let you fail here”. Be their advocate, supporter, trainer, and one who cares about their well-being.
When people feel they have a leader like that, they won’t want to let you down and will want to give their best.
How do people at your company feel about you?
One of my first bosses, and first real mentor outside my dad taught me a lot in this regard. He encouraged me to let people know what success looks like and to “catch people doing things right”. The lessons I learned from him help me to this day.
I figured out early on that you can motivate with kindness. I take it extremely personal when a person thinks I didn’t treat them fair. Low voice tone conversations help tremendously.