The best leaders not only satisfy and nourish us; we devour what they feed us. However, the road to being a successful leader is full of challenges. Here are 8 ways to be a scrumptiously irresistible leader.
Give people a home and make them feel like part of the family
Scrumptious leaders make you feel like you belong. They make you feel part of the family and give you a place to call home. With them, you feel comfortable, secure and loved. And with these foundations in place, relationships flourish beyond the professional into something life affirming. When you feel at home, you can give of your best.
Look after people and make it personal
In the working world, it’s all too easy for relationships to be fickle. Irresistible leaders know that by engineering a culture of looking after each other – including providing the necessary ‘winding and burping’ as we hit the inevitable hiccups along the way, things become personal rather than corporate. And knowing people care, provides a breeding ground for loyalty and commitment; priceless.
Build people up and bring out the best in everyone
The leaders I love working with are those that build me up, believe in me and encourage me to take on the world. Scrumptious leaders take a confidence building approach. They cultivate environments which bring out the best in people, by providing a plentiful supply of kindness, appreciation and support.
Make things enjoyable
Whilst we can’t all love everything about our work, scrumptious leaders build a happy place. A place people want to go, and a team which is a pleasure to be part of. These leaders aren’t scary or full of ego. These leaders are warm, passionate and a joy to work with. These are people we actively seek out because life is better when they’re around.
Create meaningful opportunities that elevate people and provide purpose
I’ve provided lots of people with work, new experiences, and a host of development opportunities over the years. Chances people would not otherwise have had. Scrumptious leaders provide an abundance of opportunity, elevation, purpose and inspiration – and we remember them for it.
Be real
Some leaders reach lofty heights, and from a distance, can appear untouchable. I don’t know about you though, but the best leaders I’ve observed are real – warts and all. They are one of us, relatable and people we can freely turn to. Instantly likeable, these leaders are quick to connect on a human level by opening themselves up to us.
Show up and cheer people on
Great leaders show up. So many don’t. Be there. Go to the birthday drinks, the funeral, the retirement event, the hospital appointment. Whenever I’ve made the effort to show up, its appreciated. In a world of no shows, show up and cheer people on.
Be generous and exceed expectations
Generous people are enormously attractive. We all know someone that is generous in heart. Someone who is generous in sharing their time, experience, knowledge, advice and success. People that go above and beyond; dedicated to exceeding expectations. Instinctively generous, scrumptious leaders know that generosity is repaid in abundance.
We all have opportunities to take the lead in life; whether your own leadership is scrumptiously irresistible is up to you.
