4 Ways to Lead by Lifting Others
This month, our theme is lifting others up. Thinking about the topic made me reflect on what I’ve learned from others recently about inspiration and service. Here are four lessons that stand out.
Make yourself accessible. One of the most meaningful ways you can lift another person is talking her through a situation where she feels stuck or where an outside perspective would be invaluable. Read more leadership lessons from the documentary “Hank: 5 Years from the Brink.”
Show confidence and belief in someone else. Your faith can make all the difference in encouraging someone to take a risk or pursue a passion. Sometimes just saying the words, “I believe in you” or “You can do it” can go a long way. I talk more about this in my post on Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s book “My Beloved World.”
Bring humility and respect to your interactions with people at all levels. When you engage with people as people and value what you can learn from them, it lifts them up and strengthens your relationships. That’s one of the leadership principles that stuck with me from a talk by Dr Pepper Snapple Group’s Marty Ellen.
Keep your legacy in mind. Finally, remind yourself of what you want your legacy to be in the lives of others as you go about your daily interactions. The late Fritzi Woods is always an inspiration to me as I think about legacy.
From these lessons, pick one that you will integrate into how you work with others this week. Who might need you to be a voice of reason, reassurance and comfort now? Who needs your vote of confidence? How can you bring more meaning and service to your daily interactions? Remember that small steps can lead to big results.
I’m looking forward to more discussions this month about lifting others up. Share your ideas and experiences on this topic in the comments section or by connecting with me on Twitter and LinkedIn.
