The Human Connection

This may sound hopelessly warm and fuzzy, but the thing most lacking in every effective leader – and the thing most needed – is the ability to connect emotionally with employees.  People crave that connection and want to know that their boss cares.

In a recent article in Fortune magazine, experts said it this way: “What predicted a leader’s success far better than technical skills or test scores, they found, was simply making a human connection with followers, being interested in their lives and careers, and being accessible to them.  Employees were happier, more productive, and less likely to leave.”

What this means is that the social and emotional intelligence skills of leaders have a more dramatic impact on their success than their technical or intellectual skills.  Moreover, it means that to be truly successful in employee relations, leadership, and followership, a leader must possess these skills or be committed to develop them quickly for best overall results.

So the next time you think that deep human skills are secondary and too sappy for your leadership style, think again.  Dismissing the human connection is the habit of ineffective leaders.

Here are a few Business & Life Tips to think about….

Business Tips:

• People want in their leader someone they can trust. This is the key component that develops followership and loyalty.
• An employee who feels appreciated will always do more than is expected. An employee who feels unappreciated will always try to do less.
• A good leader will use her emotional intelligence to become an even more influential leader of people. Will you?

Life Tips:

• It’s a mistake as a leader to assume that those following you will think and act like you. Lead well, but be realistic.
• Interpersonal relations are a key to your leadership. Unfortunately, many leaders put more time into trivia than into people.
• If you’re trying to help someone and are having difficulty connecting with the person, it is likely that he/she isn’t yet ready to improve.

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