Executives, new leaders, parents, coaches, and individuals all increase the success of those around them by their actions. John Maxwell's law of the inner circle states that the closest people to you will determine your potential as a leader. I agree with this and think we need to understand that this also means we determine the potential of those in our inner circle.
Is your team achieving the results you want them to? Are you being the person you want your team to be?
The biggest complaint I hear from leaders is, "My team does not work as hard as I do." This usually comes up with new leaders who do not understand how to motivate each individual or they have the wrong people in the role. Over time, when the leader is intentional with the following it will show in their results.
Be Consistent - with work ethic, explanation of expectations, one on ones, team meetings, attitude, etc...
Listen intently - Rather than thinking about what you will say next, listen to the person and prepare to reiterate what they said for understanding if needed. This small trick will force you to listen better and will give you insight to how you can best help the person.
Train constantly - Every pro athlete has a coach and a personal trainer. No matter how good you are, you can always get better with some truly targeted training and accountability.
Recognize appropriately - Recognition is a great way to let people know you appreciate them and that they are doing the right thing for the company. This is also a positive way to push others to the desired level as well. Be creative with recognition. A great leader knows everyone is different and appreciates different types of recognition. A great quick tool to find out what motivates your people is the 5 Languages of Appreciation quiz.
Hire right - Having the right people in the right roles is a quick way to be more efficient, increase revenue, and create a winning culture. This is tough to do. Leaders must thoroughly interview each candidate and use the proper tools to make sure they are the right fit for the company and the role. Never hire someone to fill the spot -- hire them because they are the best person for the job (even if it takes more time).
We need to keep emulating the behaviors that they expect from our team and do this in a way that creates a positive and productive environment. If we want our people to be lifelong learners, we better be learning. If we want everyone in the company to remain optimistic during hard times, we better be leading the way in optimism. If we want our people to produce great results, we better be expecting the best and supporting them with the tools and training they need in order to be extremely successful. This adds a level of control to our success as long as we, as the leaders, are willing to be the expectation.