Get Your Staff to Take You Seriously — How Great Leaders Inspire Action

A client of mine quit her job the other week. Let’s call her Jane. Jane finally couldn’t take working for her boss anymore. She loved the type of work she did and their client base. But the pain of having to interact with her boss every day, was just too much. Her boss was not leading by inspiring action. It was a sad day for everyone involved.

Why did it have to happen?

This scenario is a very common one. Yet it keeps repeating- in large corporate settings and in small businesses. In Jane’s case, the issue was very clear. Jane’s boss was so involved in running the business, she really didn’t stop to express any appreciation or level of care for Jane, nor any of Jane’s colleagues. Here’s an example: Once Jane broke her toe on a Sunday and sent her boss an email letting her know her toe was broken and she couldn’t walk well. Jane apologized for having trouble driving to a client meeting. Her boss’ only response was to say, “Then I guess I’ll have to go to the meeting for you”. That’s it. There was no inquiry as to Jane’s broken toe, how she was feeling, etc. It was a very cold and uncaring interaction.

Over time, this lack of care for Jane as a human being, not just an employee, wore Jane out and left her with no choice but to leave her dream job. What’s the solution? How can you inspire action as a leader, and get your staff to take you seriously?

The answer is easy. All you have to do is care about those you lead. This presupposes you care about yourself first. Being a great leader isn’t about giving big raises to your employees or getting awards. It’s just about being a person who genuinely cares about employees and shows it.

How do you do this?

First, step back. Look at everyone who reports to you as a HUMAN first, not as an employee.
Second, how would you treat everyone differently if they were your mother, sister, brother, significant other, and/or child? Would you be interacting with them the same way you are now? If the answer is “no”, then adjust your behavior immediately.
Third, find time to say “please” and “thank you” more often. This simple act, combined with real caring in your heart and mind, makes all the difference.

What you’ll find is that by caring about those you lead, you will inspire them to want to be around you, believe in you and follow your lead. Too simple to be true? Try it out and let me know what you find. I challenge you to prove me wrong.