A word of encouragement from a leader
can inspire a person to reach her potential. -
John Maxwell
Edward
Steichen, who eventually became one of the world's most renowned photographers,
almost gave up on the day he shot his first pictures. At 16, young Steichen
bought a camera and took 50 photos. Only one turned out -- a portrait of his
sister at the piano. Edward's father thought that was a poor showing. But his
mother insisted that the photograph of his sister was so beautiful that it more
than compensated for 49 failures.
Her
encouragement convinced the youngster to stick with his new hobby. He stayed
with it for the rest of his life, but it had been a close call. What tipped the
scales? The vision to spot excellence in the midst of a lot of failure.
If you were
to look back on your life when faced with great doubt or uncertainty during
times of fear, career transition, sickness, or other personal struggle – one
thing on a short list of game changers would no doubt be the encouragement from
a friend or loved one.
In the case
of Edward Steichen, the encouragement came from his mother to not give up on
his dream of being a photographer. What about you? Who was the person(s) who
spoke words of hope, inspiration, or encouragement into your life at that
pivotal moment that helped turn it around for you?
As a leader
you have incredible opportunities every day to speak words of encouragement and
inspiration into the lives of those around you. You may never know or
understand the power of those words today, or ever, but it can be
transformational nonetheless.
Being an
encouraging leader will not only define your leadership style, but it will also
define your leadership legacy. Encouraging leaders are cut from a different
cloth. Do you desire to be an encouraging leader? If so, here are four
characteristics that will set you apart.
Encouraging leaders see beyond the
failures
The myth
surrounding encouraging leaders is that they live with their heads in the sand
and are somehow detached from any sense of reality. I submit that the opposite
is true. Encouraging leaders are perhaps some of the most attuned leaders you
will find not because they refuse to look at negatives, setbacks, or failures,
but because although they do see it, and they refuse to let others be defined
by it.
Defining trait:
Encouraging leaders keep dreams alive.
Encouraging leaders care enough to
confront
Just as
Edward Steichen’s mother confronted him during a time of great self-doubt about
his abilities, so too will encouraging leaders take the same approach.
Encouraging leaders know that if negative thoughts and self-doubt linger too
long then the path forward will be much harder to conquer. An encouraging
leader will care enough to disturb negative thinking and help you forget about
the 49 pictures that didn’t turn out and focus on the one that did. There is no
time to wallow in self-pity with the encouraging leader.
Defining
trait: Encouraging leaders have no tolerance for negative attitudes.
Encouraging leaders take risks on the
future
Seeing
beyond failures and caring enough to confront are only part of the equation for
an encouraging leader. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual to act in a manner
that is consistent with his or her potential. But encouraging leaders are those
special leaders who had rather risk growth and potential by speaking words of
encouragement and faith than by encouraging conformity and mediocrity by playing
it safe. By speaking words of encouragement the leader is planting seeds of
faith and possibility into his or her people that they otherwise may have never
thought possible.
Defining
trait: Encouraging leaders inspire action.
Encouraging leaders take everyone to
a higher level
Defining
moments in your leadership come when you realize that when you speak words of
encouragement to your people it is like pushing the “up” button on an elevator.
Your words and actions as an encourager will open doors of opportunity that
negativity never will. The seeds you plant in their minds and hearts will
elevate them to higher places because you believed in your people and dared to
encourage them.
Defining
trait: Encouraging leaders elevate the potential in others.
You will
define your leadership, in part, by your words and actions. Be an encouraging
leader!
© 2015 Doug
Dickerson
Additional Resources:
Here is a
short list of leaders who are high on my list of encouragers. Visit their
sites, sign up and follow their blogs and be encouraged!
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