| GREAT LEADERS USE RELATIONSHIP SECRET
| |
| | FINDINGS REVEAL USEFUL LEADERSHIP SKILLS
|
| Question: What is a secret shared by
| |
| | Super-useful finding: People with
|
| fantastic leaders and also great spouses
| |
| | partners who typically give Energetic -
|
| and life partners?
| |
| | Constructive responses to positive events
|
| Answer: Cheerleading!
| |
| | reported the highest level of
|
| That is, people with excellent leadership
| |
| | relationship satisfaction.
|
| skills cheerlead after
| |
| | Another useful finding: A partner's
|
| * positive events
| |
| | Energetic - Constructive response to
|
| * victories
| |
| | positive events does more good for their
|
| * a job well done
| |
| | relationship satisfaction than a
|
| They also buoy up employees who
| |
| | partner's sympathetic response to bad
|
| experience a setback, bad news, or
| |
| | news.
|
| mistake.
| |
| | 2 TIPS FOR LEADERS TO BECOME CHEERLEADERS
|
| KEY LEADERSHIP SKILL RESEARCH
| |
| | So, how can managers, executives and
|
| Recent research showed that a person who
| |
| | other leaders use these intriguing
|
| responds enthusiastically - like a
| |
| | research findings?
|
| cheerleader - to his or her partner's
| |
| | 1st Tip - for positive events = When your
|
| good news produces a stronger and
| |
| | employees or work colleagues do something
|
| healthier relationship than a person who
| |
| | wonderful, make sure you immediately give
|
| responds compassionately to bad news.
| |
| | an Energetic - Constructive response.
|
| This was found in research by Shelly
| |
| | Translation: Act like a delighted and
|
| Gable, Ph.D., UCLA psychology professor,
| |
| | enthusiastic cheerleader.
|
| and reported in Journal of Personality &
| |
| | 2nd Tip - for negative events = When your
|
| Social Psychology (Vol. 91, No. 5).
| |
| | co-workers or employees hit roadblocks or
|
| This relationship research sheds light on
| |
| | make mistakes at work, a fabulous leader
|
| a key leadership skill: Leaders who
| |
| | immediately
|
| 'bond' and form strong, productive
| |
| | * acts understanding
|
| relationships with employees and
| |
| | * resists the temptation to push their
|
| colleagues excel at cheerleading.
| |
| | face in the mud
|
| Gable and fellow researchers videotaped
| |
| | * makes sure the employees do not wallow
|
| 79 couples talking about positive and
| |
| | in their problems
|
| negative events. Then, trained raters
| |
| | For example, if an employee makes a
|
| coded their partners' responses for
| |
| | mistake, you can say, "I realize that
|
| * Usefulness: constructive or
| |
| | bothers you. I know you usually do a
|
| destructive
| |
| | great job. How can you avoid making that
|
| * Enthusiasm: energetic or passive
| |
| | mistake again in the future?" Transform
|
| Example: A person proudly tells their
| |
| | the negative event into a mood-lifting
|
| partner that she or he just landed a
| |
| | comment and encouragement.
|
| promotion. Then, there are four possible
| |
| | LEADERS BENEFIT FROM
|
| responses to accomplishment:
| |
| | 'WHAT-GOES-AROUND-COMES-AROUND'
|
| 1. Best response: Energetic -
| |
| | As leaders, you can apply this
|
| Constructive = "You really deserve it!
| |
| | relationship research in your day-to-day
|
| You've been working hard for that
| |
| | leadership skills. The results will be a
|
| promotion, and you earned it."
| |
| | stronger emotional bond with your
|
| 2. Wishy-washy response: Passive -
| |
| | employees. Since
|
| Constructive = only saying, "That's
| |
| | 'what-goes-around-comes-around,' the
|
| nice."
| |
| | stronger the bond, the more likely your
|
| 3. Lousy response: Energetic -
| |
| | employees will
|
| Destructive = "Are you sure you can
| |
| | * enthusiastically support your
|
| handle all that responsibility?"
| |
| | leadership vision
|
| 4. Ultra-lousy response: Passive -
| |
| | * see to it that your goals get
|
| Destructive = changing the subject
| |
| | accomplished
|
| The research participants also filled-out
| |
| | * achieve high productivity - to earn
|
| a relationship satisfaction questionnaire
| |
| | your delightful cheerleading response
|
| eight weeks later, focusing on their
| |
| | again and again
|
| partners' response style to positive and
| |
| | © Copyright 2007 The Mercer Group, Inc.
|
| negative events.
| |
| |
|
