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