My hope in writing Heartitude Works is to ignite a spark in others to put our hearts back to work. To “Add a little heart to our smarts.” There has never been a greater need for each of us to use our brains and our hearts, our courage and our empathy, our honesty and our compassion. The disconnect between head and heart has deepened our national and global divide and is preventing us from opening a dialogue with those who disagree with us. The further apart we become, the further apart we will become.
The disconnect between our head and hearts at work has allowed us to accept myths like “women are too emotional to make tough decisions” and “It’s just business, it’s not personal.” This impacts our ability to get the best of ourselves and others.
Myths That Derail High Performance
Here, in excerpts from the book, are my Top 3 Leadership Myths that derail high performance. I believe we need to rethink them and would love to hear your thoughts. What inspires you to give 100% of your best? What elements were present in your most high performing team experience? Please leave a comment and be entered into a weekly drawing to WIN Heartitude Works Swag!
Myth#1. “It’s just business; it’s not personal.” No matter how many times I hear this, it never seems quite right. If getting the most from people is at the core of organizational success, then people are the business and business is very personal! Leaders with heartitude know that business decisions are always personal because they impact people. Claiming, “it’s just business,” does NOT immunizes us from the responsibility for the care and feeding of those we lead. Humble leaders make difficult decisions with compassion, give equal consideration to people factors, and actively help those impacted negatively in business decisions. In return, leaders who care for their people generate exceptional loyalty and commitment to their mission.
Myth #2. “Kindness & Toughness are mortal enemies.” Kindness is not a four-letter word. Honesty, Toughness and Kindness are not born enemies. Oftentimes, the kindest thing you can do is to let someone know what perceptions, actions or attitudes you think are blocking them from their desired outcomes. Who better for us to hear a “harsh” message from? We will hear the hard stuff better from someone whose caring and support we trust. Defensiveness is greatly reduced when we believe someone authentically has our best interests at heart and can communicate negatives with empathy and concern. Who wants to find out when it’s too late that they could have adjusted their actions and changed the outcome to a win? Most people want the honesty; they just don’t want the brutality. Leaders with Heartitude are willing to practice direct, compassionate honesty with people and ask for the same in return. As a result, these leaders and their teams share a high level of trust to build on for top performance.
Myth #3. “Emotion (heart) is best kept out of work.” We have come a long way in understanding how our emotions drive us, and yet especially in business, we still resist the role the heart plays in excellence. Too often, people respond that emotion conjures up images of the hysterical. Words like heart and love are rejected as too soft. And yet, every day, more and more organizations are proving that Heartitude Works, that emotion – the heart – is the key driver of performance. There are hundreds of emotions that we experience almost daily. We need to learn to name them, and distinguish the gradients. Leaders with heartitude manage their negative feelings to avoid inappropriate communication and they harness positive emotions to drive top performance. More than half of leadership job performance is dependent on getting other people to give their best. Understanding and using emotions effectively is the most consistent path of the most successful leaders to inspire people to go above and beyond. People go to work for the organization, and then stay or leave based on their relationship with their boss. Workers want to deliver desired results and will do whatever it takes when they feel appreciated. That effort goes directly to your bottom line.
Here’s to your Heartitude!
ruth
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WIN Heartitude Works Swag
What inspires you to give 100% of your best? What elements were present in your most high performing team experience? Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a weekly drawing to win Heartitude Works Swag!
p.s. Looking for that last minute holiday gift? Heartitude Works make a great gift (& it fits in the small flat rate mailing box! 😉 ) http://www.heartitudeworks.com/
Here’s to your heartitude!