NOTABLE
» A survey released earlier this year asked respondents to list the three words that best describe the person who has the most positive influence on their daily life. The top three themes that emerged: Hope (56% of mentions), trust (33%), and compassion (7%).
The Gallup results released earlier this year surveyed 70,000 adults from 52 countries and territories. There are many legitimate ways to measure the success of a leader – the productivity of employees, the sales numbers of a team, and the profitability and shareholder value of a company, for instance. But the driving force for those types of outcomes can be summed up in two words: positive influence. So what investments should you make in your direct reports if you want that type of influence?
QUOTABLE
» Winning Words
Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. I will be hoping that this letter finds you, and finds you well.
– ANDY’S LETTER TO RED
The Shawshank Redemption
Malcolm was even too simple to feel flattered by the girl’s confidence, though to be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.
– GEORGE MACDONALD
The Marquis of Lossiee
Compassion. That’s the one thing no machine ever had. Maybe it’s the one thing that keeps men ahead of them.
– LEONARD MCCOY (DeForest Kelley)
Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 2 Episode 24
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DOABLE
» 3 Key Plays
1. Practice integrated influence
It would be silly, not to mention ineffective, to focus only on hope just because that contribution was mentioned far more often than any other in the Gallup survey. Instinctively, we know that hope doesn’t happen without trust, for instance, and that compassion is a building block of trust.
Well-rounded leaders integrate these themes (and others) so that hope, trust, and compassion emerge as interwoven threads in a quilt pattern not as lone highways across a desert.
2. Know your direct reports’ needs
People are different and what they need at any given time in their lives can differ. Imagine you’re working with a person who has a get-it-done personality but can’t achieve an important task without a wrench to tighten a bolt. All the compassion in the world for that dilemma won’t matter much if you don’t get them a wrench.
3. Make these themes part of your culture
Leaders show the way, of course, but they also hire and develop other leaders with the right strengths and skills to help them show the way. They also put structures and policies in place that promote a culture of trust, foster compassion, and lead to hope. Fostering an ecosystem of compassion, trust, and hope doesn’t guarantee success, but it’s hard to beat.
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