Becoming an Indispensable Leader by Transforming Your Business and Personal Relationships
None of us is irreplaceable but we should all strive to be indispensable to the business we work for or own. As I drove away after receiving and accepting my first job offer in broadcasting over 40 years ago, I still remember a promise I made to myself. I would always give my employer more value than they paid me for so they could never afford to let me go. And they never did. I’ve continued to apply that same commitment to my magic and mentalism entertainment and sales training business – give more value to the client than the compensation I receive.
Over the past few decades as an executive, consultant, and corporate speaker and entertainer, I’ve seen companies thrive and others flounder. I’ve witnessed people who have grown professionally in rewarding careers and others who have stagnated and grown frustrated. The line between the two extremes is usually drawn by whether or not a few leadership basics – that are often forgotten or ignored – are adopted.
Whether you own your business, manage employees working for you, or you’re an employee with a passion to achieve a higher level of responsibility, leadership is required. Becoming an indispensable leader, in business and and even in your family and other relationships, isn’t magic in that it’s not some formula for success that’s more theory than reality. But the following strategies, when applied consistently, will transform your leadership skills “like magic.”
Appreciate others lavishly.
Nearly a century ago Dale Carnegie, in his ground-breaking book How to Win Friends and Influence People, said, “Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise.” Appreciation expressed sincerely and often goes a long way in your interaction with your employees, co-workers, clients, family, and, if you’re an entertainer, trainer, or speaker, your audience members. After all these years since Carnegie penned that advice, people are still people. Their personal felt needs are basically the same, including the need to feel appreciated. If you haven’t read Carnegie’s book, grab a copy and soak in the wisdom. It’s one of the best books ever written on building relationships. And relationships are what successful businesses and families are built on.
Your business is NOT your life.
Early in my executive leadership career a friend gave me a book the title of which I can’t recall. It’s just as well. It was a study of the most successful leaders in the United States and what, according to the author, it would take to be great like them. In short, the book’s author suggested that to be among the greats one had to live, sleep, and eat business. It had to be Numero Uno in my life, the author opined. At that point I closed the book and determined that if that was what it took to be one of the greats I wasn’t interested.
Of course, it’s not. Our lives are much more diverse and there are higher priorities than making the next sale, signing the next contract and the next and the next. Yes, your business deserves and requires your best. But to be your best so you can effectively build your business, you have to keep a balanced life. A burned out leader leads to a burned out business.
Relational vs. transactional leadership
Build genuine relationships with your co-workers and customers. Care about them. Ask them how they’re doing. Listen to them. Dare I say it – love them genuinely. (Yeah, I know that’s very hard to do with some people, but get over yourself.) When your view of others is based primarily on what they can do for you you’ll either burn bridges or burn out your own character and self-worth. There is a richness of life that is rewarded to those who build up others. As one of my former employees used to say, “Don’t treat people like a wallet.”
When I interact with a corporate client who is hiring me to entertain, speak, or train at their event, I make it clear that I’m not going to just show up and perform. I ask them how else I can help them make their event a huge success. Then at the event I’m focusing on relational experiences for my audience through interactive mentalism and magic rather than simply doing some clever tricks to fool them. That would be a mere transactional experience for them – and not a very satisfying one at that.
As a business leader, you have an “audience” in a real sense, whether they’re your employees, clients, or your boss. Be genuinely interested in them (relational), not just what you can receive from them (transactional).
Focus your people on their strengths.
As a leader, it’s far more effective to encourage your team members to focus on leveraging their God-given strengths than to focus on improving on their weaknesses. That’s not to suggest that some critical weaknesses shouldn’t be dealt with – they should in some cases. But most people are more energized and enthusiastic when they know they have the freedom to live in their sweet spots while making a positive impact on others.
When I first began developing my magic and mentalism skills decades ago, I determined to specialize in a branch of magical entertainment that not only would ignite my passions and that of my audience, but would capitalize on my strengths. For instance, I’m not and never will be a dove-producing, coin-manipulating, rabbit-in-the-hat type magician. I know magicians who are, and some of them are very good at what they do. But I found that mentalism (mindreading) in a humorous, audience-interactive context was something I could do well, I thoroughly enjoyed, and that my audience loved. So, that was the strength I focused on and continue to capitalize on.
Taking the time to examine and focus your own passions and strengths and those of the people you lead is well worth the time and effort.
Adopt Situational Leadership principles for your business.
Everyone has varying degrees of expertise and responsiveness to different styles of leadership. Ken Blanchard’s Situational Leadership II is an excellent approach to adjusting your leadership/management style to the needs of your team members. Strong leadership is not “one size fits all, like it or leave it.” Some employees require more direction throughout a project’s progression simply because they haven’t done it before. Others only need broad direction then be allowed to do what they do best with minimal oversight. Indispensable leaders understand and act upon the reality that they, as well as their employees, will achieve better results when leadership style closely aligns with the employees’ level of expertise. Of course, it also requires flexibility and willingness to adapt to the situation.
In a similar sense, I customize my programs – whether after dinner platform or strolling entertainment, motivational speaking, or sales training – to the situation and needs of the client and their audience. I was hired a few years ago by a large real estate agency to fill in for an emcee who had a last minute emergency. The situation called for some quick rework of my normal show to fit the unique format of their event, and I had as much fun as the audience did.
As you adapt your leadership style to your varied situations and employees’ strengths you’ll find that your outcomes will improve and you’ll have more fun and less stress in the process.
In Part 2 of Leadership Magic I’ll reveal why discovering the “why” of your business is so important.
Rod Robison is an Arizona based author, mentalist and magician who provides entertainment, inspirational speaking, and sales training for corporations and organizations. Learn more at www.TucsonMentalist.com
