Leaders know how to read…people

Posted: November 19, 2013 | Categories: Leadership

One of my clients had an “Aha” moment yesterday.  These are what coaches live for.  It is that point in time when our thinking makes a shift, and from that moment on, we feel ourselves moving with a renewed sense of clarity, confidence, and purpose. My client (Ken) was talking about his top technician, and how this person always seems to find fault.  I looked at Ken and said, “He’s a technician.  You pay him to find things wrong!”  Ken stopped, his eyes twinkled and he said, “I never thought of it that way.  All this makes total sense to me now”
Understanding how another person thinks can be vital in building a diverse, well-balanced, resourceful team.  Consider executive coaching for instance:  In the world of coaching we build on strengths.  That means we spend much of our time looking for what is right, and identifying the most important opportunities for growth.  Suppose you said to me, “So Steve, when you think of where you are at and where you need to be, what’s wrong?”  That would be a strange question, and I wouldn’t know how to answer it.  I would probably say, “How do you mean?”.  With that reply, you would be wise to come back with a question like this:  “Looking at your current goals, what is the most important habit or activity you need to focus on to ensure your success?”.  I would be energized and positive in my response to that question.  That is the way I am wired.  It is not the way technicians are wired.  If Ken were to ask his tech “What’s wrong?”, he would probably get an answer like, “Well…three things…first of all…”

I share these two example to make an important leadership point:  If we want the best from our people, we’ve got to get into their world and understand how they think.  Remember Steven Covey’s famous mantra, “Seek first to understand”.  If we do, we show respect, we connect, we build trust, and thereby establish an ideal context to enable our people to do their best.  Would the same thinking pattern work with our children?  Of course!