by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 16, 2012 | Communication, Empowerment, Encouragement, Leadership
It is not just a leader who needs to be encouraging in an organization. A leader needs to know how to surround themselves with a strong team that can also provide them with support when needed. A leader takes on a lot of responsibility. Because they have a position of prominence their actions are often criticized.
Who is encouraging you when you are having a bad day?
Encouragement should be a two way tool. When as a leader you develop an encouraging work environment you should be able to lean on your team for support occasionally. Encouraging words strengthen relationships and make you a stronger team. On days when challenges seem huge, that is when encouragement is most vital. A leader says to the team “Yes you can do it” and the team’s encouraging response is getting to work and believing the leader’s words. When things are going wrong, a leader who is willing to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes to turn the situation around encourages without words. In cases like this, actions are more encouraging, earning a leader respect and helping to build stronger relationships.
Who encourages you? Who pours into you?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 14, 2012 | Empowerment, Leadership
Genuine encouraging words can only be spoken if believe in your team. People can quickly see through empty praise. If you are the type of person that struggles to delegate and prefers to do everything yourself, then you won’t find it very easy to be encouraging. The reason for this is that most of the time you will think you could be doing a better job yourself.
One of the best ways to encourage people is to give them responsibility. Simply trusting them to take on a task can be more encouraging than any words you may say. A second check is how are you engaging with your team? Do you know them as individuals? How do you know that you are encouraging them in the right direction unless you know their strengths and weaknesses? A good leader develops skills that will help the organization reach their goals. Put the right people in the right position and you will be encouraging them to succeed.
How was your checkup? Did you pass?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 12, 2012 | Empowerment, Encouragement, Goals, Leadership
An encouraging word has the power to move mountains, yet harsh words can just as quickly kill ideas, motivation and inspiration. In The Message Bible puts it aptly: “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or truth – you choose” (Proverbs 18:21). Encouraging your team is an integral part of being an effective leader.
You need to be conscious of your words and constantly check to see if you are giving criticism in an encouraging way. Remember that part of a leader’s mandate is to build up the people that they lead. Some people are natural encouragers. Others have to work at developing skills of encouragement. The important thing is that you are conscious of the importance of encouraging the people you lead.
How do you rate yourself (A, B, C, D, or F)?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 9, 2012 | Communication, Empowerment, Encouragement, Leadership
To be able to offer genuine encouragement as a leader you need to get to know your team players. In working with them you can find out their strengths and weaknesses. Focus your encouragement on both areas. Use an individual’s strengths to build up the team and move it forward towards its goals.
Use weaknesses as an opportunity for learning or training. With encouragement people work better as a team, there is more cohesiveness in an organization. Effective teamwork results in people that feel motivated and empowered. People will be more willing to put forward ideas and less scared to fail. A culture of encouragement is contagious and filters down through an organization. As a result an organization will enjoy a positive and creative energy. Leaders should make a conscious effort to incorporate encouragement into their daily communication with their team. This develops and models a culture of encouragement and result in positive attitudes.
How will you these helpful tips?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 7, 2012 | Communication, Empowerment, Encouragement, Leadership
Encouragement is something that can spur a team on to reach big goals. Any professional sports team will tell you how valuable it is to be playing at a home ground. The encouragement of seeing a stadium filled with team colors as they run out onto the field gives players a huge emotional boost at the start of the game.
And then in the crucial parts of the game, when there is a break in play, when the team is about to score, the stands erupt! So many times it’s the cheering and encouragement of the fans that seems to help carry the ball over the goal line. This is the power of encouragement and smart leaders know that it plays an important part in any team. When a team member is encouraged in an area of weakness and they grow as a result, it benefits the whole team. By initiating a culture of encouragement a leader sets his team up for success.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 6, 2012 | Current Affairs, Decisions, Empowerment, Leadership, Politics, President Obama, Vision
As the election season comes to a close, whoever wins will make history. We will elect an African-American to a second term or a Mormon as president. Both President Obama & Governor Romney talk about change and how they will implement those changes. Both have a vision on how to get America back on track and believe it wholeheartedly.
However, what they both fail to articulate is how change involves loss, sacrifice, and pain. That is the hard part. Why? Deep change requires that people change the way they think. When people change the way they think, it changes how they feel. When people change how they feel, they change the way they act/behave. Therefore, when both candidates call for change, what they are calling for is a revolution. (more…)
