The Best Gift a Leader Can Give

 

It’s that time of year again. 

 

As of the date this is posted, there are only fifteen shopping days left until Christmas.

Sorry. I feel your pain.

Last night my wife and I were chowing down on Torchy’s tacos and talking about leadership. She said, “At this time of year, you should write something about ‘The Best Gift a Leader Can Give’.”

Dang. I loved the idea because it also reminded me of a question I posted on the socials years ago.

I once asked, “If you ever had a boss that you really liked and worked long, tough hours for, why did you work so hard for them?” I got a ton of comments, but generally they went like this: “They noticed me. There was a genuine recognition and appreciation of my work, my contribution, my hours.” Many times it was mentioned that they had a sense of their boss being in the trenches with them. And, of course, that meant emotionally as well.

Honestly, I expected a more corporate answer, as in empowerment. I think that was where I personally leaned—something along the lines of trust connected with autonomy. I probably would have added clarity in direction, with a boss offering a keen sense of vision and opportunities for personal development to grow my skills and competencies.

But that was not the majority of my admittedly unscientific survey. And now I’ve come to believe that I was wrong in my assumptions.

I wondered about one of my favorite, yet sobering, parables of Jesus: the parable of the talents. You know the story: three managers are given responsibilities and resources. One of them simply didn’t do anything with theirs, but the other two had returns on investments. Jesus says to each of those two, “Well done, good and faithful servant!... Come and share your master's happiness!”

He noticed them. There was, as noted earlier, a “genuine recognition and appreciation” of their work and effort. This becomes even more critical when leaders lead volunteer-driven organizations, where extrinsic rewards such as paychecks and bonuses are not possible. Instead, leaders must tap into intrinsic values, and I would posit that the big one is feeling appreciated.

For some of us with task-oriented personalities, it’s easy to move on to the next hill to climb. I have regrettably fallen into that trap and missed golden opportunities to lead well.

The truth is: Good leaders simply notice. 

Dave Workman | The Elemental Group

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