However, the contrast is true:
If they expect you to respond supportively—they’ll be more likely to offer their opinions.
You’ll hear the best they have to offer. You’ll encourage creativity and dreaming.
If they expect you to respond with care and understanding—they’ll be more likely to share their heart, their pain, their life with you.
You’ll truly know people and you will be able to lead more relationally than strictly because of your position.
If they expect you to respond with empowerment—they’ll be more likely to take risks and try something new.
You’ll get the best from people. They will feel more a part of a team. And, great things have a better potential to happen.
If they expect you to respond with grace—they’ll be more likely to share the good, the bad and the ugly.
You’ll know when they failed and they’ll come to you for help to improve.
If they expect you to respond with a listening ear—they’ll come to you when they need to bounce ideas—before they have all the answers.
You’ll become part of their development, helping them improve individually as they attempt to help improve the team.
Leaders, how do others expect you to respond?
There are so many other scenarios I could have offered. You have some of your own no doubt.
Think about it—do you not tend to alter your response based on how you expect others to respond? Is this not true in family and friend relationships also? It certainly is in leadership.
Fair or not—as a leader, the response others expect from you may help determine the way others respond to you. Their response will be how we have conditioned them to respond to us, based on past experience of how we have responded to them.
More importantly, however, is ultimately our response to people in a great way determines the health of the team or organization.
