How is your team stepping out of the worldwide pandemic? Many Millennials are coming out of hibernation with mental health issues. The 2020 Blue Cross Millennial Health report (1) states, 92% of millennials say the pandemic made a negative impact on their mental health. Think stress, anxiety, depression and social life disruption. What does this mean for you as a team leader?
Your team’s encouragement cup needs filling more than ever. Authentic encouragement empowers people. So, how do you do that? Express gratitude, say thank you, share appreciation, send short hand written notes. Ask the team to consider ways to celebrate small team wins and then do it together.
Your life is a unique story. Harvard leadership authority, Howard Gardner says, stories are the single most important tool in a leader’s tool kit. How do you get in touch with your narrative? Pause, reflect on your personal timeline. Write down the significant events including the ups and downs over your lifetime. Ask yourself what you learned and came to value in these experiences.
Share your personal stories with your team to illustrate key values or leadership principles. You could ask yourself, what patterns do I see in my personal narrative and how does this clarify my life purpose? Remember, we lead from the inside out!
Clarifying a team’s purpose is incredibly empowering. Go to your team and ask them to tell the team’s story. You might ask the team, share the story of how the team looks and feels going forward. You might ask, can we start living this new story starting today?
Sharing encouragement, expressing your story, and co-creating your teams purpose leads to creating greater value for everyone. What next step are you going to take to empower your team?
