In his book The Maxwell Daily Reader, John Maxwell argues that leaders should encourage their people. He starts by stating that many leaders expect people to encourage themselves.
We shouldn’t expect this from the people we lead. Rather, people require a little outside assistance to be encouraged.
Here’s where you can step in and help your people. You can be the cheerleader, the rah-rah person, or the encourager.
But why should you encourage them? What do you get out of it?
Good questions…
Why You Should Encourage Your Team
Maxwell continues in his writing as he shares the why behind encouragement. Maxwell states:
- New leaders need encouragement because they encounter many changes
- New leaders undergo many changes themselves
- Encouragement helps people reach their potential
- Encouragement empowers people by giving them the energy to continue
Those are some pretty powerful, motivating factors behind encouraging the people you lead. Think back to the days when you were early in your career. You experienced many new situations and changes that shook you. You felt out of place, inadequate, or frustrated.
Then something happened…
Your boss or another leader in your organization saw you working hard. Maybe it wasn’t the best work but it was adequate and the job was complete. They appreciated your effort, saw your talent, and decided to speak an encouraging word to you.
Your day changed. You felt like you could take on the world because someone recognized your hard work.
You have the same opportunity.
How To Encourage People
You have to remember not everyone is encouraged in the same way. You will have to personalize your encouragement. However, you can try a few of the following ways to encourage people:
Give a thank you note:
People don’t write as many thank you notes as they used to. Thank you notes are almost a dying art form. You can help bring them back.
Imagine your team members’ excitement when they see a special note from you. The note is personalized, states what you saw, and tells them great job.
There’s a good chance your team member will cherish this note.
Speak words of life to them:
Sometimes, people just need a word of life spoken to them. What is a word of life? A word of life can be words that speak deeply to a person. Think of it as seeing who they are and sharing what you see. You speak the best things you see about them to them.
The Bible tells us there is the power of life and death in the tongue. Why not use our words to speak words of life to those we lead?
Be available to them:
If you’ve ever worked for an absent boss, you know the feeling of hopelessness and helplessness. You feel there’s no one there for you. You don’t have an advocate or mentor. You’re floundering in an open abyss.
But… you were encouraged when you found that boss who took you under their wing, made themselves available to you, and showed you the ropes. You felt like you could take on anything your boss gave you.
Be that leader. Find ways to be available to those you lead.
