Daily Leadership Thought #79 – People Are Like Snowflakes

People are complex. Every person you lead, manage, do business with, or meet in life is an individual. Like snowflakes, we are all different in some way, shape, or form. Experts often try to categorize people or attempt to make it easier to interpret and predict their actions and motivations, but it is never quite that simple. As a leader or manager, you need to connect with the individual, not just the group. This is why effective leadership is a combination of art and science.

True leadership ability (often referred to as charisma) is just the ability to make people feel special. It entails actively listening to others and maintaining eye contact. It is noticing personal cues and using positive body language in response. It involves acknowledging people’s talents and positive attributes, making them feel good about themselves. And it communicates that you genuinely care about them and what they are going through—good, bad, or otherwise. Of course, life is not always a rose garden, and bad things do happen. However, the best way to navigate whatever life throws at you is to be surrounded by other people who feel their destiny is positively aligned with your own. It also makes the high points even better.

Take the time to personally get to know your colleagues, coworkers, clients, and neighbors. It could make all the difference in the long run and isn’t as difficult as you might think. The truth is that “no man (or woman) is an island.” We all must coexist with one another. Everyone, including you, likes to feel personally acknowledged and special. We also like to feel a sense of personal value and contribution. Everyone wants to matter (to someone). To be effective, all leaders must understand and tap into this fact.