Leaders face situations when people do not do what they expect them to do.
The nearest pressure relief valve is to criticize the other. But be wary of this as it can be and is counter-productive.
Frequent Criticism is a fine imposed on the mind
It reduces the others self esteem and self belief
It is the reverse of recognition and progress
It outcasts the person
More importantly it provokes justifications that may lead to cementing & protection of undesired behaviour. It can also force the person into his/her shell and drives them into repeat of the same behaviour. At times it may seem to work, but that is merely an illusion as it does not get to correcting the source of the matter for lasting improvement.
When you help the other realise what was not proper; enunciate the benefits of change, aid his or her desire to overcome and wrap this in a cloth woven from faith & belief of positive outcomes-then you are doing the right thing.
Different people need different approaches. Some may need more effort from the leader and others may require less. Whatever it is the best idea is to have a plan for each key person in your team.
It will automatically percolate down to the next levels once you have tried it and encouraged similar approaches to the key persons you lead in doing the same for their team. Mentoring & Coaching may well come into play.
That is your key role in leadership. Being tough doesn’t mean being angry and critical. Where is the time to do all this? It has to be made available and a good way is to slot weekly time so that it becomes a regular feature.
When you can be and are gentle of heart, your destiny then awaits you. So, what’s the plan?
Ashok Thussu, LMI-India, Licensee Delhi NCR
Developing Leaders and their organisations to their full potential