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>
------------------------------------------------------------

---

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

Those that have successfully made the transition from manager to leader have found the importance of continuously asking questions. Constantly receiving feedback from front line workers enables... Read More

Introduction to the The Enneagram as a Leadership Tool

The Enneagram is a fascinating tool of nine orientations that enables us to gain insight into the depths of our true potential. It seeks to provide insight... Read More

A Blueprint for Leadership - How to Be a Better Leader

If you were to build a house, you would begin with a blueprint. This blueprint proves useful because it contains more than directions on how to build... Read More

The Essence of Leadership

What is more important, leadership or teamwork? Leadership or consensus management? Today we hear frequently about teams, team-building, and teamwork on the one hand and management by... Read More

Celebrating Successes: The Power Of Compliments

Years ago, when I was new in management circles, a veteran administrator decided to share his self-described secret of success. He said: You have to be careful,... Read More

Leadership - Connect to Engage!

It's been said many times that true leadership is measured by ones ability to motivate and influence others.Leaders must work hard at motivating people to take action... Read More

To be, or Not to be (Average)?

When is hate OK? When it's the feeling you have toward average. Let me make this point clearly and without reservation. I hate average!What is average? My... Read More

Leadership Skill Training

Quality leadership is a positive asset that is needed in every organization. Observe any successful club, committee or team and you will find a capable leader in... Read More

Leaders Click It? Into Gear!

"Click It" Into Gear!Ever wonder how two people can be in the same meeting, hear the same speaker communicate the same message - yet once the meeting... Read More

The Seven Secrets to New Age Leadership

Did you ever notice that In our American culture, we have the tendency to look outside of ourselves for leadership? That's a trap. Isn't it time we... Read More

Ten Steps To Effective Leadership

Many people end up in a supervisory position or SOHO ownership almost by default. In today's workplace, if someone stays on their job long enough, they will... Read More

The Four Laws Of Leadership (Part Two)

In Part One, I described the laws of motivation. In Part Two, I'll examine the laws in more detail.Law 1. Motivation is physical action. Motivation isn't about... Read More

The Tao of Leadership

There can be no doubt that the ancient author of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tzu, was a man of unique wisdom whose writings continue to influence people... Read More

Cub Scout Leader Outdoor Experience

Recently I attended Cub Scout Leader Outdoor Experience training. This was a 24 hour course starting Friday evening. If you are a leader whose Council officers this... Read More

Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 1, General Strategies for Unproductive Behavior

It happens easily. You're conducting a meeting and suddenly a small side meeting starts. Then someone introduces an unrelated issue. Someone else ridicules the new issue. Everyone... Read More

Get Angry And Then Get Results

Leadership is not about winning a popularity contest, it's about getting great results. To do so, leaders must challenge people not to do what they want to... Read More

Always Be Open To Learning

"We should not only use all the brains we have, but all we can borrow." -Woodrow WilsonLeave it to a child to remind you of the importance... Read More

A Winning Choice for Leadership!

"The only way to enjoy anything in this life, is to earn it first." -Ginger RodgersOne bad apple can spoil the bunch! As a leader, we cannot... Read More

Leadership: Seed or Fruit?

Purpose: Learn immediately if you are fostering leadership or ignoring it. Discover the power of nurturing your people.It was an enormous redwood tree. And due to regulations... Read More

Steps to Becoming a Good Leader

STEPS TO BECOMING A GOOD LEADER: 1. Develop a master plan. What are your goals? What are the organization's goals? How are you going to reach them?... Read More

Evil, Hostile Grumpy Listeners? Think Again

I hated Kyle Sisk*. A notorious bully, Kyle punctuated my grade school years with misery. He would tease me about my weight, purposely rattle me with shocking... Read More

Building Self Confidence

As a hypnotherapist I specialise in helping people to develop confidence and self esteem.Perhaps surprisingly, the people who ask for my help are not shrinking violets and... Read More

Three Factors Of Leadership Motivation

Leaders do nothing more important than get results. But you can't get results by yourself. You need others to help you do it. And the best way... Read More

7 Awesome Leadership Power Generators!

7 Awe-Inspiring Leadership Power-Generating Strategies!Here's a really simple way you can use your personal infrastructure to increase your leadership power, create new innovative solutions and nurture your... Read More

The Three Essential Attributes of a Leader: The Demonstrated Abilities

Leaders need to:1. Have a vision to which they are committedLeaders arrive with a vision: a deeply thought out view of what to do to make a... Read More

Wisdom From The Rock

He grew up in Brooklyn, the son of an ex-con father and with a Mob-connected uncle who earned a living as a loan-shark. He credits his father... Read More