3 Es For Leaders - Engage, Empower, Encourage!

"Enflamed with the study of learning and the admiration of virtue; stirred up with high hopes of living to be brave... and worthy..., dear to God, and famous to all ages." - John Milton

Leaders are by definition "stewards" of the trust, hope and beliefs of others. To perform their acts of stewardship, leaders must practice and master three essential tasks:

=> Engage people

=> Empower people

=> Encourage people

Many leaders have a problem applying those 3 "E"s to their leadership goals, actions and conversations. Here are a few strategic ideas you can use to inject the three "E"s into your leadership styles and behaviors.

Engage the Hearts, Minds & Wills of People!

"No seed shall perish which the soul hath sown." - John Addington Symonds.

When you plant a positive vision into the fertile fields of their hearts, minds, wills and emotions, your venture is sure to succeed.

Your task is to help your partners, associates, peers and constituents or clients to

=> Connect with,

=> Believe in,

=> Commit to,

=> Organize for

performing that mission-critical activity, reaching for a desired objective or completing some specific task.

The intent, consistency and integrity of your leadership style, behaviors and attitudes must demonstrate the worthiness of your visionary ideal or principles.

In a word, you use your dreams or ideals to motivate and inspire the confidence and commitment of others.

Empower the Skills, Performance & Competencies of People!

Empowering people means

-> linking them with the knowledge, resources, assets and processes they need,

- preparing them for the tasks, activities, objectives, challenges and problems they will work through,

- directing them to the sources of tools or materials, supplies and resources, specialists or networks to enable their efforts,

- guiding them in identifying, classifying, mapping or modeling, learning, analyzing, evaluating, innovating and creating, managing, venturing and leading for any situation.

By empowering, we mean facilitating the supply of energy, mass and capability to perform the work at hand. To provide people with the energy of a belief, competence or meaning.

"True hope is swift, and flies with swallow's wings; Kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings." - William Shakespeare

Leaders encourage us to have hope, we use that hope to add speed and give flight to our dreams, our hope transforms our lives into the lofty desires of kingly beings, and transmutes our efforts into a reality of kingly treasures.

Encourage the Endeavors, Strengths & Confidence of People!

When you lead by encouraging people, you give them a:

=> purpose for being, for their inclusion, for making a difference and contribution, for reaching upwards or towards a higher plateau

=> obligation to the mission, to help others, to fulfill an ideal, to belong, to a higher power or greater good

=> trust in the common purpose, in goodness of others, love and mercy of God, in a promising potential for the venture,

=> affinity with a noble or worthy enterprise, with other positive or success-oriented people, with a great and righteous goal

You encourage people because you realize they will become transformed by the hope of a positive image or possibility.

"None without hope e'er lov'd the brightest fair, But love can hope where reason would despair." - Lord Lyttleton.

Love is an act of the will, to love is a willful decision to show a loving concern, care and compassion for another - love gives hope the solid support of a strong foundation.

------------------------------------------------------------

"Growth is the only evidence of life." - John Henry Newman

If it is possible to encourage an energizing yet positive growth of people, then you are engaged in a worthwhile endeavor.

When we analyze the styles and behaviors of our greatest leaders like Christ, Gandhi, King, Churchill, Tolstoy and Mother Theresa, they share a common trait - they applied all three "E"s to their practice of leadership.

Leaders in government, business and public services can easily find ways to use one or more of these key actions -

1) They can engage the hearts or minds of people through compelling ideas or inspiring principles;

2) They can empower the ability and desires of people by connecting or educating them through applied energy;

3) They can encourage the commitment and heroism of people by showing them the hope or belief in a better reality.

Try out these concepts - when you do, you'll see a real improvement in your leadership effectiveness!

"We have two lives about us,
Two worlds in which we dwell,
Within us and without us,
Alternate Heaven and Hell:
Without, the somber Real,
Within, our hearts of hearts, the beautiful Ideal."
- Richard Henry Stoddard.

It's up to you to decide, do you believe there are 3 "E"s in "leadership"? Stretch forth your hope and see the possibility - engage, empower, encourage your people to win!

Copyright © 2005, Mustard Seed Investments Inc., All rights reserved.

------------------------------------------------------------
About the Author:
Bill Thomas presents "The Leadership Toolkit" - serious leadership training for professionals, managers, executives, entrepreneurs and specialists. Discover how to energize your leadership skills, boost your confidence and get new knowledge through our articles, newsletters & programs at:
http://www.leadership-toolkit.com/tools.html< /a>
------------------------------------------------------------

In The News:

---

The Four Laws Of Leadership (Part Two)

In Part One, I described the laws of motivation. In... Read More

Leader is Not a Title

There is a steady flow of information in the form... Read More

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 5, Dominant Participants

While dominant participants contribute significantly to the success of a... Read More

Make The Elephant Jump -- Leading With A Kind Heart

Leadership is not about getting people to do what they... Read More

Leadership: 9 Universal Laws

1. The Law of Authoritarian StyleAuthoritarian leaders lead by control... Read More

The Defining Moment: The Straw That Stirs The Drink Of Motivational Leadership (Part One)

Decades ago, as a rifle platoon commander in the Marines,... Read More

Leadership A Perspective From Tao

Tao Te Ching said to be written by Lao Tzu... Read More

Two Leadership Traps: How To Avoid Them and How To Get Out Of Them (Part 2)

Here's how to get out of, or avoid, the "I... Read More

Rationalize Success Away

I was invited to do a Leadership workshop at a... Read More

Leadership Like Water-Water Canoeing

Although world business is undergoing historic changes, the prevailing view... Read More

3 Ds For Leadership Action... Dedicate, Direct, Dialogue!

"...And winged hope, with heart of fire, To gain the... Read More

8 Questions to Ask if You Want to be a Better Leader

Those that have successfully made the transition from manager to... Read More

A Leader?s Ultimate Goal ? Connect to Engage!

Connect and Engage! Your People Are Your Power.It's been said... Read More

Leadership Prep

So you want to be a leader? Or you want... Read More

Benefits of Leadership Skill Training

DESCRIPTION CMOE's Leadership Skill Training addresses a wide range of... Read More

3 Elements of Leadership Power!

In an article discussing the need for innovative products and... Read More

Leadership Skills Training Empowers Problem-solving and Visioning

Leadership skills training programs empower you to influence, persuade or... Read More

Dont Be a Complainer

Complaining. There's room for legitimate complaining, but if you let... Read More

The Defining Moment: The Straw That Stirs The Drink Of Motivational Leadership (Part Two)

In Part One, I described the importance of establishing deep,... Read More

The Power of the Leader Within - The Keys to Martial Arts Life Mastery, Key#1

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"Remember... Read More

The Seven Secrets to New Age Leadership

Did you ever notice that In our American culture, we... Read More

Leadership Skills - 10 Ways to Beef Up

10 Ways to Beef Up Your Leadership SkillsHave you ever... Read More

Two Vital Abilities Any Leader Must Have

As a business owner, you are a leader whether you... Read More

The Qualities of Skillful Leadership

If you want to be a leader who attracts quality... Read More

Leadership Training and Character

The vast majority of leadership training available to managers focuses... Read More

Effective Leaders are (#3) Communicative

LISTEN, WRITE, AND ARTICULATE EFFECTIVELY: Leadership positions require effective communication... Read More

Introduction to the The Enneagram as a Leadership Tool

The Enneagram is a fascinating tool of nine orientations that... Read More

Take the Road Less Traveled

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took... Read More

Are You A Leader in the Chrysalis?

Let's get this straight at the outset?Leadership skills can be... Read More

The Death of Potential

... Read More

Effective Leaders are (#2) Technical

SET CLEAR AND REASONABLE OBJECTIVES FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS: Plan?... Read More

What is Leadership?

Leadership is what every organization needs and so few have... Read More

Leadership for the Successful Entrepreneur!

Why talk about leadership?"Leadership is important whether you a leader... Read More