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It is important to be human with your team, but it is just as important to see the human behind the employee. The late Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was once asked by TV journalist Charlie Rose in an interview: “How many kids do you think are out there who in 30 years you’ve influenced, who you’ve made a difference for and who you made them feel something special?”
He used the question to address an even deeper issue for him, replying, “I don’t care how many. Even if it’s just one. We get so wrapped up in numbers in our society and the most important thing is that we’re able to be one-to-one, you and I, with each other in the moment. If we can be present in the moment with the person that we happen to be in that moment with, that’s what’s important.”
Fred Rogers was right. We need to be with people in the moment.
We live in a high-tech world, and healthy leadership is a high-touch job. We are all connected with technology, but healthy leaders ensure they are really connecting. People who lead with love make it a priority to get to know the people behind the role—to be present in the moment with them.
One study of 25,000 leaders, for instance, found that the most effective leaders had one thing in common—they expressed a sincere interest in their employees. “Sincere” is the operative word.
By knowing who your team members are as people, you can better fulfill their needs to keep them fully engaged and help them grow. You can serve them better.
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