Page 3 - The Leadership Line_November 2020

What’s This I Hear About

Engaged Leadership? Three things
you can do today to
As a supervisor at MIL, you may have heard talk about being “engaged.” Engaged become more engaged
employees work with passion and feel a profound connection to MIL. They drive
innovation and move the organization forward. As a supervisor, that’s what you with your team members:
want, right? Of course, but, here’s the challenge – you, as their supervisor, have
a tremendous impact on your team members’ level of engagement. When you
are engaged, your team member is more likely to be engaged. That’s because Listen & Ask Questions
employees care about things that you control. Highly engaged employees feel » Personally - Strike up a casual
valued. They enjoy their team, confidently contribute ideas, and believe in the conversation with your team
mission. They feel challenged to grow their skills and supported to learn and member.
make mistakes in a safe environment. They know where they stand because you » Professionally – Give team
give them regular feedback – both positive and constructive. This helps them members the opportunity to voice
know what they are doing well and where they can improve and offer more value their opinion during discussions.
to MIL. » People want to be connected and
Highly engaged supervisors have high performing teams. They create the feel valued.
conditions that promote engagement through relationships. To be engaged, you
must know your team members and be committed to your team as a coach. This
takes time but is well worth the investment. EEveryone has innate qualities in
which they excel. When you match your team member’s strengths to the right
tasks, you will get exceptional results. Team members are more engaged and
content when working within their strengths or when feeling slightly stretched. Positive Reinforcement
Offer opportunities for each team member to contribute through individual
conversations, group brainstorming sessions, or team/project meetings so they » Encourage continued positive
performance by calling out good
feel valued, and know their contributions are valuable. results.
We asked Jon Nehman, Vice-President what an engaged leader looks like. He » Take every opportunity to give
stated, “An engaged leader is motivational to themselves and others by being frequent feedback.
genuinely interested in our work. They’re invested in successful outcomes - for » One of the most common reasons
themselves and collectively for the team.” people leave an organization

is because they don’t feel
appreciated.

“If you think you can do a thing or
you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

Henry Ford Expect Good Results
» If you want the best results from
your team, expect the best.
» A team member’s performance
often rise or fall to the level of
your expectations.
Suggested Resources » Coach and delegate! Give your

» “The One Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer team member an opportunity
Johnson to grow and help him or her
succeed.
» “How Successful People Lead” by John C. Maxwell