1. Trust and believe in your people
In his book The Speed of Trust, Stephen M. R. Covey says that a team with high trust will produce results faster and at lower cost.
2. Respect the people you lead
Cheryl Bachelder, CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, wrote a book called Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others, in which she tells the story of her leadership journey.
The difference? Bachelder says that it was a conscious decision to create a new workplace (with rigorous measures in place) where people were treated with respect and dignity yet were challenged to perform at the highest level.
3. Respond to the needs of your people
Great leaders show an interest in their people's jobs and career aspirations. They look into the future to create learning and development opportunities for them. They find out what motivates their best people by getting to know what drives them.
Knowing what makes each of the members of your team get up in the morning can help leaders develop work employees will actually care about -- the kind of purposeful work that ties into an organization's larger goals or mission.
4. Give them freedom
What was good for the Industrial Age is completely obsolete in today's relationship economy, yet most companies still operate that way.
Back in the old days, hierarchy and "do what you're told" worked. Bodies performed simplified, repetitive tasks on the production line, needing commands and direction from the ivory tower.
Today's talent want freedom to collaborate, participate, innovate, and self-organize. WorldBlu research shows that organizations that promote freedom-centered leadership (versus hierarchical, fear-based leadership) create cultures in which everybody--regardless of title, rank, or position--has the choice and responsibility to exercise leadership skills.
Read more on INC
