Leaders, Followers and YOU

In a recent news headline, with everything going on in our country, the question was asked if either Hillary or Trump could unite us.

The question really hit home with me. Not because of the choices but because we put so much of our success as a country into just one person?

The question makes me believe that we are throwing our hands up and telling ourselves that we are not good enough or smart enough to come together.

As the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink”. Whoever wins the next election can lead us to the source but until all of us and yes that means you drinks, that is all they can do. If they try and force it down our throats they will drown us.

Then it hit me, this goes beyond our political and social environment it affects our work lives as well.

How many times have you silently waited for your boss or president of your organization unite you, while you silently point out all the things they have done wrong and wonder why they have not taken action?

At times leaders have it the worst. They are watched not only by their employees but the board, customers, clients, vendors, partners and competition. Whatever happens is ultimately their responsibility.

I am not arguing that they should not be held responsible or that they should not be a leader that unites people. My point is that we all have a part to play in the future success of not just your organization but your country as well.

We should no longer point the finger at our leaders and blame them for everything they did wrong. They are human and they make mistakes. We need to focus on ways to get past these mistakes and focus on our future if we truly want to be successful.

Here are some tips to help you do that.

Let go of your ego: Your ego wants to protect your image, it is okay to be wrong and it is okay to not get your way. If something happens that you do not like, acknowledge it, deal with it and get past it. Focus on what is best for the organization.

Listen to understand, not to judge: Often times when we listen to someone, we do to help us judge them or respond to them. The problem is that we are not really hearing them when we focused on our respond.

Talk to people that you do not agree with and stop trying to prove your point: Ask questions, value them and learn from them. If there was one simple solution, why are we all so different? Learn from people.

Find what you have in common with people: We are far too often focused on what we do not agree with someone one. “I cannot be friends with blank because they believe…” first listen to them and find out what you do have in common. This is not a free pass for people to be jerks and if you want to try and act like that, please grow up.

Believe that people are doing the best they can: This one hit me hard. In “Rising Strong” by Brene Brown and she talks about this concept and how she struggled with it. She does a great job at explaining it but the message is, see people for who they are not for who you want them to be. No one is perfect and people are going to make mistakes.

We cannot rely on one solo leader because when they step down or die, we are lost. We must be a part of the change that we want to see and support our leaders and sometimes that means taking the first step.