We all have a few things in common.
We want to be liked, loved, and happy.
Some people make us feel valued.
Some people make us feel special.
But others can make us feel discouraged, unimportant, and small.
As the saying goes:
“how you make others feel about themselves, says a lot about you”
When you lack ability to make people feel good about themselves it does nothing more than showcase your own brokenness for the world to see. As leaders who believe that people matter, we must become masters at making people feel great – to build and maintain lasting relationships, to consistently influence (in a good way) the people around us, to always make people feel better about themselves, and to become the kind of people everyone wants to be around.
Fortunately, this is possible and it doesn’t take reading a 200 page leadership book to learn how.
Here are 5 ways I’ve seen leaders successfully make the people around them feel great:
- Put Your Stuff Away – Don’t ever have your phone or computer out while in a conversation.
- Use a Person’s Name in Conversation – This requires you remember it when they tell you 🙂
- Ask Them to Teach you Something – Everyone has something to offer, let them shine.
- Be Authentically Interested – Lean in, keep eye contact, and listen way more than you talk.
- Shine the Spotlight on Them – In group settings, share someone’s talent, a good story about them, or what you like about them.
