For this column, I was rereading the chapter Aim For the Heart from Mac Anderson's book, "The Essence of Leadership." It touches me every time I read it.
Vince Lombardi, in his last speech before he died, was addressing a large corporate audience. He stated, "I'm going to share with you the key to success in any business."
The audience sat with silence awaiting the tip. He said, 'The secret, in a word, is…heartpower. Capture the heart, you've captured the person…Get people to fall in love with your company."
It sounds simple, but how does a leader do it? Simply put, it begins and ends with caring about your people, not as employees, but as human beings.
He says one of the keys to building heartpower is establishing trust as the cornerstone of your relationships. Trust grows from past actions and is aligned with honesty (telling the truth) and integrity (doing what you say you'll do). Trust, of course doesn't come quickly. It is earned over a long period of time.
Mac says that gaining someone's trusts is like filling a bucket one drop at a time. It takes a long time to fill it, but with one swift kick you can lose it all.
The second key to heartpower is respecting others' view points, particularly through the art of listening. This is the most underestimated quality of a great leader. Remember, "If God wanted us to talk more than listen he would have given us two mouths and only one ear."
The third key is unexpected acts of kindness. This honors human dignity and radiates compassion and respect.
Here are some examples:
• A heartfelt, verbal "thank you" or congratulations in the presence of fellow employees.
• A hand-written note with a sincere comment or two.
• At company gatherings, I ask the group to give "thanks" for the help others have given them. "Thanks" in the presence of others is powerful.
Mac ends this chapter with three powerful words, "May I help?"
I suggest you use them often.
Vince Lombardi, in his last speech before he died, was addressing a large corporate audience. He stated, "I'm going to share with you the key to success in any business."
The audience sat with silence awaiting the tip. He said, 'The secret, in a word, is…heartpower. Capture the heart, you've captured the person…Get people to fall in love with your company."
It sounds simple, but how does a leader do it? Simply put, it begins and ends with caring about your people, not as employees, but as human beings.
He says one of the keys to building heartpower is establishing trust as the cornerstone of your relationships. Trust grows from past actions and is aligned with honesty (telling the truth) and integrity (doing what you say you'll do). Trust, of course doesn't come quickly. It is earned over a long period of time.
Mac says that gaining someone's trusts is like filling a bucket one drop at a time. It takes a long time to fill it, but with one swift kick you can lose it all.
The second key to heartpower is respecting others' view points, particularly through the art of listening. This is the most underestimated quality of a great leader. Remember, "If God wanted us to talk more than listen he would have given us two mouths and only one ear."
The third key is unexpected acts of kindness. This honors human dignity and radiates compassion and respect.
Here are some examples:
• A heartfelt, verbal "thank you" or congratulations in the presence of fellow employees.
• A hand-written note with a sincere comment or two.
• At company gatherings, I ask the group to give "thanks" for the help others have given them. "Thanks" in the presence of others is powerful.
Mac ends this chapter with three powerful words, "May I help?"
I suggest you use them often.