Encourage the Heart

Welcome back to the Leadership Minute. I’m Rose Marie Sloan and today’s topic – Encouraging the Heart

The root word “encourage” means heart. Leadership is much more an affair of the heart than merely a matter of mind. Effective leaders understand that in order to accomplish the extraordinary, people must have strong and committed hearts. And when offering encouragement, the leader is, in fact, providing courage and strength to another person’s heart.

According to Kouzes and Posner, authors of The Leadership Challenge and Encourage the Heart, “Leaders recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence and celebrating values and victories by creating a spirit of community.” The essentials of Encouraging the Heart include expecting the best, personalizing recognition, and being personally involved.

As the leader of your team, consider the following suggestions:

● Make it a point to constantly recognize excellence in individuals and with the team

● Be authentic and genuine in your words and actions

● Provide support that contributes to performance, results, and perseverance.

● Validate and value the big and small things people do to achieve goals and model values

Most importantly, make sure encouragement is “heart-to-heart.” Research states that leaders should Encourage the Heart every seven days. Bring this practice into your current role as a leader.

How frequently do you Encourage the Heart?

Which of your team members would really benefit from more recognition?

What can you do today to show you care?

To explore the practice of Encouraging the Heart in greater depth, register for one of our upcoming leadership development programs found on the Academy’s website, ww.chairacademy.com