I teach a class that brings leaders and followers into a room and they learn about great leadership and followership together. During a class a couple of weeks ago, when we were talking about Building Trust, I asked the following questions:
Followers: What do you think the leaders need from you to Build Trust?
Leaders: What do you need from your followers in the area of Build Trust?
The general answers from the followers (on what leaders needed from them to Build Trust) leaned towards work getting done. Statements were made like “Doing what you say you will do” and “Following through on your work”.
When I asked the leaders a similar question, the first answer was from someone new to leadership. He raised his hand and said “Telling me that I am doing things well, along with letting me know what I am doing wrong.”
It is in moments like these that both sides of the performance equation realize they do not always understand each other.
It is in these moments that just a little sharing helps us understand what we need to provide to others to help them be successful.
Followers: What if you committed once a week to seek out your leader and ask them “What do you need from me this week?
Leaders: What if you did the same, and said thank you when you saw your people looking out for you.
Initiatives become necessary because we forget about simple habits that help create success for people and teams. Commit to this simple habit.