Category Archives: Relationships

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How To Be A Grateful And Appreciative Leader

As a team member, feeling appreciated beyond the paycheck is important. You put a lot of effort into fulfilling your job requirements, finding things to do, and making the organization money. The daily grind can be mind-numbing.

Add to that working for a leader who doesn’t show appreciation can destroy any motivation they have to continue working hard. As the leader, it falls on you to make sure your people know that you are grateful and appreciative of their hard work.

I think back to some of my roles where I had a leader who didn’t show their appreciation. It was just demands for more output. Nary a thank you, great job, or I see you were said. At times, there were even threats despite my best efforts. 

I look back on those days and think about what I longed for as an employee. I wanted to feel appreciated.  Read more...

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5 Ways To Lead With Empathy

Empathy sounds like one of those touchy-feely words. It’s what those woo-woo leaders do. But it’s not.

Leading with empathy is something every leader should do. It not only endears you to your employees but it forms stronger connections between you, employees, suppliers, and more.

Why wouldn’t you want to lead with empathy?

What Is Empathy?

Some of us may have the wrong idea of empathy. We don’t understand what empathy is or how to use empathy. Let’s get clear about what empathy is.

According to the dictions, empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. That means you, as a leader, can connect with your people on an emotional level. You can share in another person’s grief, stress, anguish, frustration, and more without letting it overcome you.   Read more...

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Effective Communication: The Key To Building Strong Relationships

I can’t hammer it home enough how important communication is in leadership and, more importantly, your life overall. While John Maxwell says everything rises and falls on leadership, I have to diverge from this great leadership thinker.

Leadership is important, but I believe communication is even more important.

Without communication, you can’t rise to the level of a great leader. People won’t follow or understand you if you can’t effectively communicate your

  • Mission
  • Vision
  • Desires
  • Thoughts
  • Agendas
  • Etc…

Communication is the key to getting things done in leadership. It holds that communication will get you to the next level. Especially in building relationships.

Many relationships, in business and personal, have fallen because a person couldn’t communicate. They failed to share their needs, desires, and wants. They couldn’t spit out the words to let the other person know.  Read more...

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4 Ways To Navigate Difficult Conversations

You have to deal with difficult conversations regularly. There are constantly issues arising from personality conflicts to inefficient work.

These situations call for you to have difficult conversations with the employees or other leaders involved. You’ll have to get dirty and discover precisely what’s going on and what it will take to resolve the issue.

The good news is that you’re equipped and able to do this. You can diffuse tense situations.

But what does it take to do so? You’re about to find out.

4 Ways To Navigate Difficult Conversations

When there’s a conflict or a difficult situation that arises, you typically have to have a conversation with someone. These conversations require you to be brave, bold, and confident. That’s the only way you can get through them.  Read more...