Great leaders understand more than anything that it is ALL about the people…..

The people… are the driving force of any organization…..

Don’t believe it???

Go ahead and hire some bad ones and let me know how that works out…..

Seriously though….great leaders understand that they need to build professional relationships with each and every one of the employees….

Now…..I’m not talking about “best friends” kind of relationships….

I am talking about building a professional relationship with each person.

Great leaders find out exactly what motivates each individual…..

Every single person in this world has a different “map” of how they are put together……

People are raised in different parts of the Country….with different parents….who by the way have their own maps….

People are raised in different religions….

in different cultures….

With different friends….

Have different interests….

and most importantly…..

all have different driving forces of why they get up out of bed every morning..

Great leaders have interaction with the people…… every day…..great leaders find out what makes that individual…”tick”

Great leaders understand that by building rapport in a professional relationship…..that leader can then leverage that employee by giving them the proper feedback in a way that will be most receptive to that employee…

Think about it….

Some people love the recognition…

Some people love the challenge …

Some people like the certainty that goes with a particular project….

Some people just want to feel that… they “belong”

Some people want to continually grow….

You see….different motives… and different emotions…. drives all of us in what we do.

While figuring all of this out may seem to be a little difficult to do…..I know one thing…

If you ask a person exactly what they are thinking and how they are feeling….they will tell you…

But you first have to build a culture of honesty…..respect and integrity with that individual….

If you set the expectations clearly….and high enough….

Provide the employee with ALL of the tools and training that is necessary to perform the task….

And THEN…..give straight forward and honest feedback…..you will earn that individuals respect and trust….

As a leader….it is your job to mentor and train the leaders of tomorrow….

It starts by understanding the employee….understanding what their own individual driving motive is…

And then nurture it and watch it grow….

Your organization will be a better place and you as a leader will be fulfilled…..

To see a video of this blog, please go to the following link:

Jim Kristoff.com - Great Leaders know it is ALL about the people

About the Author: With 30 years in the retail Automotive Industry, from a Salesperson to a Dealer, I have a vast amount of experience in all areas of an automotive environment. You can follow me on my website, www.JimKristoff.com, on twitter @jimkristoff, on LinkedIn  http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkristoff or on youtube, www.youtube.com/user/jimkristoff