Relationships with the people around you play a pivotal role for any person in a position of leadership. The strength, level of respect and communication between a leader and the people they work with are instrumental to maximizing productivity and effectiveness.
A key skill a leader needs in order to establish productive relationships is to know how to win friends and influence people.
A leader with the ability to do these things will have an easier time establishing productive and effective relationships with their peers. If you can align people to your way of thinking, you will have an easier time accomplishing your goals because the group will be working as a cohesive unit.
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Here are three tips to align your team’s thinking with your own:
The only way to win an argument is to avoid it.
If you can identify and solve an argument before it happens, you will not only save time by not wasting it on an argument, but you can also avoid engaging in a situation that could damage a relationship.
Do your best to understand the other person’s viewpoint.
Empathy is a powerful tool that a leader can use. People want to know that their feelings are being understood and noticed.
When you are wrong, admit it.
As a leader, if you do not admit when you are wrong, the people you work with will be reluctant to do the same when they are wrong. Along the same lines, if you do not admit when you are wrong, they will respect you less when you are right.
The fundamental value that connects these three tips is respect.
Respect is key to knowing how to win friends and influence people. Respecting others lets them know that they can be open with you about ideas and views, giving way to effective and productive relationships.
As a leader, respecting your team will encourage them to extend that same respect to you. With relationships founded on mutual respect, you will be able to have honest and open communication with your team to develop goals that everyone on your team can strive to for mutual success.
Bio: This article was written by Dale Carnegie Training, a company founded on the principles of the famous speaker and author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Today, the company offers leadership training and sales training to help businesses and individuals achieve their goals.
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