Standing on the Rock

I have been reading a great book lately called, "Strengths Based Leadership" (Rath, Conchie; Gallup Press, 2008). I have mentioned it before, but I continue to get a lot out of it. In the book Gallup presents evidence to show that there are four main reasons why people follow.

As I looked back over my blog posts from recent months I found it interesting that I have actually covered three of the four already. So, I thought it only fitting that today I cover the fourth.

The four needs that followers consistently expressed are: Trust, Compassion, Stability and Hope. The one I haven't discussed yet is Stability.

Stability is something we are all looking for as we have endured a difficult economic situation. A number of people have lost their jobs and scores of others live in fear of it happening to them. Others have had their financial portfolios devastated. One of the most paralyzing effects of this situation has been the uncertainty that has been created. No one seems to know how bad things will get or when this will all end.

In the book the authors state that employees who have a high amount of confidence in the financial future of their organization are nine times more likely to be engaged in their jobs than those with a low level of confidence. That makes an enormous difference. Engaged employees are more productive and produce more profit than those who are disengaged.

The authors also state that being transparent with your followers is the quickest way to establish a sense of stability. I could not agree more with this. I have seen leaders who lie and I have seen leaders who stop communicating when things are bad. Both create big problems. Those who lie typically get caught in their lies and their credibility is ruined. Those who stop communicating create a void of information. And, I learned long ago that in the absence of information the human mind usually assumes the negative. So, if we are not communicating people begin to imagine the worst. It's human nature.

My encouragement and challenge to you today is to look for ways to create a stable environment for your followers. It isn't going to be easy. You will have to look harder now than ever to find the answers. As you may have noticed from my previous posts I am not trying to give you all the answers. I am trying to give you important questions to ponder and explore and answer for yourself.

What is one thing you can do today to provide a sense of stability? How can you be transparent in your communication?

Take the challenge. Seize the day!

(http://www.joedenner.blogspot.com/)