Feeling that you belong, that you are listened to, and that you add value enables individuals to thrive and teams and organizations to succeed.

Pat Summit, a highly successful female basketball coach, an author, and a former motivational speaker provided the following tips about leadership. (Extracted from Reaching For The Summit; SUCCESS. In Business. In Life. Summer 2006)

“A sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have.”
– Pat Summit

  1. Coaches/leaders require 2 major skills.
    • The ability to convey practical information in a clear and concise way that enables others to learn quickly.
    • The knack of motivating your team to put in the necessary effort to achieve success.
  1. For successful motivation, you need to transmit your passion, enthusiasm, and attitude. “It’s the ability to see in other people more than they see in themselves, and to bring it out of them.”
  1. Learn about the backgrounds and families of your team members. Discover what precisely makes them tick. This will help you understand what motivates them, and fosters an openness that may pinpoint reasons for under performance.
  1. Be approachable and demonstrate empathy. This is needed in order for your team to better listen, learn and develop. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”.
  1. Transfer responsibility. Personal responsibility and accountability increase enthusiasm, drive, and lead to more effective performance.  Act as a guide and mentor your team but remember you can’t do the job for them.
  1. Surround yourself with bright, talented people with creative minds that will challenge you.   Listen closely to their ideas and methods; they’re likely to provide options you have not explored yourself.
  1. Evaluate yourself before you evaluate others. It’s possible you as a manager failed; be honest about what you could have done better.

How many of these seven tips do you practice consistently? Which two would you and your team benefit from if they became a daily activity?

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