Your Secret Power to Energize People
Pouring mud in the cup doesn’t energize people.
Worms like mud. People like sunshine.
Sunshine in my cup:
A leader spoke very complimentary to me the other day. He uses these little posts for leadership development at the beginning of team meetings. He honored me. He respects me. He lifts me. I felt pretty darn good after our conversation.
Funny thing. I think he’s a great guy. Call me a child but I like people who like me.
Secret power to energize people:
A leader’s words have weight. A good word from a respected boss means more than a gift from a friend. Don’t be stingy with the sunshine.
When you energize people, they get more done. And they enjoy it.
I told you my sunshine story not to brag but to remind you that we’re all children inside.
Bonus: Words are free.
How to energize people:
#1. Like people.
People feel good about you when you like them. And they don’t like you when you dislike like them.
Genuine compliments accomplish two things. They encourage people to feel good about themselves and they invite people to feel good about you.
#2. Honor growth and development.
Notice how they’ve grown five times and how they need to grow one time. (5:1 rule)
If they aren’t growing maybe they’re not suited for the job. Don’t push sleeping elephants. It wears you out and it irritates the elephant.
#3. Ration the mud.
Most people prefer a good word to mud in their cup. Energy goes up when you lift up and down when you beat down.
Dumping mud doesn’t feel good unless you’re in a spa. And work ain’t no spa.
Support and challenge:
Novices need more support than experts, but everyone enjoys a good word. Use the 5:1 rule to evaluate the ratio of support to challenge.
What could a leader do today to energize people?
Join John David Mann and me on zoom tonight (Oct. 19) at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Email: TheVagrantBook@gmail.com for the ZOOM LINK.
Who: Anyone interested in growing their leadership potential and connecting with the authors of, The Vagrant.
When: Oct. 19, 2023, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Where: Zoom
Request your invitation by sending an email to TheVagrantBook@gmail.com
Hi Dan, I wish I could make your family meeting, fireside chat but cannot. Will you record the meeting and then provide the link in a future post? I would love to hear what you, John, and my fellow Leadership Freak followers have to say!
Thanks for bringing this up. I hadn’t thought of recording tonight. I’ll let you know.