IMPROVE YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS
RECOGNIZE THE MEANING OF OTHER'S BODY LANGUAGE
"To be a leader, you have to make people want to follow you and nobody wants to follow someone who doesn't know where he is going." That comment was made by Joe Namath, Hall of Fame professional football player.
Of course, identifying the goal and measuring the end result are obvious and necessary. In my experience, however, the designated leader becomes so enamored with the goal's end results that there is little attention paid to why the so-called followers should want to do so.
Job titles and descriptions (your's and their's) rarely gain the desired results. The first step will always be to develop enthusiasm and belief in the goal as one they want to achieve. None of us appreciate working hard to achieve someone else's goals.
There will always be one or more individuals speaking up on why the idea will not work or suggesting a better way. This is where your advance planning will be helpful. Their ideas may be good or bad, but the suggestions must be evaluated on their merits. They cannot be ignored or you may have problems later.
Equally important are the persons who keep silent. What beliefs do they have about the project -- enthusiasm or the opposite? The silent ones may well determine if there are successful results, missed deadlines, mediocre work or outright sabotage of the project.
This is when your understanding of body language may save the day (project). It does not really matter whether the person has reservations about their own abilities or if the reservations are about the overall goals. The sooner doubts are recognized and solved, the better the chance for ultimate success.
Body language is like a mirror that tells us what the other person thinks and feels in response to our words or actions. Our ability to use and understand body language in a positive way can be a powerful tool for work, friendships, and love.
With it, you will be able to interpret other people's inner emotions even if they are not directly expressing them. You will be able to modify your behavior to fit the situation and get people to like and trust you. Teamwork comes when the followers believe you value and appreciate their contributions for success!
While body language is not an exact science, reading the signs can indicate whether the person is interested, open to agreement, thinking, frustrated, defensive, bored, excited, confident, angry, tense, suspicious, needing reassurance or lying. Be aware of the body language, but also combine your observations with the spoken words to get more hints regarding the inner feelings of another.
This recognition of other's inner emotions and thoughts gives power that can be used to your advantage. In some part of our lives we all face the "not good enough" doubts or fears. A few words of genuine encouragement at the right moment can make a lot of difference in the final outcome of any activity.
Gloria Hansen is an author and educator on consumer issues. She has a B.S. degree in Foods and Nutrition from Iowa State University. Her website is http://www.selfimprovementtools.com
