Power PlaySample

I’m sure we can all remember a time in our lives when a leader said something that left us feeling awful or that we’d done something terribly wrong. Even if they didn’t intend for their words to be harmful, they may have left an impression that lasted longer than we would have wanted.

As a leader, we want our words to inspire and lift up others instead of tearing them down. Of course, there will be times that we have to say that something didn’t work as it should or that someone’s performance is not at the level that it needs to be. But we can choose to say these things in a way that could both encourage and inspire.

If we truly want to bring out the best in others, we should take the time to say things in a way that benefits the listener. Think of the people you lead on a daily basis. What could change if you used words that were uplifting rather than only pointing out negatives? How would your relationship with them change?

It may be helpful to imagine specific people in your life and think about the words that they need to hear. Write these words down, and challenge yourself to uplift someone during the week.