“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” - Theodore Roosevelt

I love this quote from Theodore Roosevelt as I truly believe the greatest trait of a leader is his ability to relate with people and truly empathize with who they are and what they are going through. John Maxwell, in his book “The 21 Indispensable Qualities of Leader” includes relationships as one of those traits. He says, “People truly do want to go along with people they can get along with.”

He says there are 3 ways to cultivate good relationships as a leader:

-Understand People - truly understand how people think and feel, what are underlying factors that relate to all humans (wanting to feel special, success, hope, direction, and encouraged), and how to relate to their unique needs
-Love People - truly empathize with people and find the best in them
-Help People - people respect a leader who keeps their interests in mind

To me relationships mean building character, understanding others, truly getting into their heart and mind which allows you to empathize with them and truly learn how to give. Giving is the essence of it all. When other people feel you are genuinely concerned about them and care about them then they will go to the end of the earth for you. 

As a leader do you invest in your people? How can you understand them, love them, or help them more? How can you make your relationships stronger?

Is your business slow during the month of December as your clients are preparing for the holidays and your employees are focused on their time off? If so how do you ensure that you are still maximizing your business potential during this slow time? Here are a few tips on what to do:

Close out any last minute deals or details that you can. If you have any sales or targets that you haven’t achieved then put your full attention on them now while there is a little bit of down time. In January things will go into full swing again so there will be no time to finish these things up

Spend time with your employees. Focus on reviews for your employees as well as rewarding and congratulating them on what was accomplished or working with them to set new targets for the new year. Taking time at the end of the year to cherish your employees, coworkers, and clients shows them their value and what is truly important - the relationships that you have built with them.

Plan for the new year. If you have down time use it wisely. Begin to set your goals and plans for 2011. With less than a month left of the year it is perfect time to reflect on what you accomplished this year and make plans on what is most important to you next year. Put down your major goals and work with your team/clients to ensure that you have the best plan in place for a great 2011.

Take some time off. If you are like so many you work hard during the year and now is a time to spend with family and friends enjoying the holiday season. It is a time to rejoice, give back, and truly revel in the goodness and kindness of those around you. Take that time when you have to really spend with those you care for.

I hope you are enjoying the beginnings of the holiday season!

With the economy going up and down in the last couple of years businesses have had to be nimble and resilient to ensure that they stayed afloat or prospered in this environment.  Leadership in a time of change can be a career maker or a career breaker. How can you make sure that it a career maker? In order to progress in times when the environment is shifting all around you need to do the following:

• Be open to new opportunities – as the environment is changing, leaders need to be open minded to new opportunities in their business. Although certain strategies may have worked during good economic times new strategies may need to be implemented to take the company through a down economy. What are new ways to keep ahead of your competition? Is it creating a joint venture that offers something that is a great complement to your business? Is it adding a new type of product that your customers are asking for and you know you could also implement well. What new opportunities are available to you if you just kept your ears open?
  

• Let go of things that are not working – if there are things that you are doing that are no longer working then it is time to let it go. Although it may be something that you truly want to be doing, the market may just not be what it is looking for. Is there something that you have been trying to sell for a while without any results? Is there something that you keep trying to do and need to let it go? Being an effective leader also means letting go of what is not working in a timely manner so that you can put your energy into what is truly working.
  

• Invest in your top performers – although during tough economic times you may want to cut down on expenses, you need to keep investing in your top performers. They are the bread and butter of your organization (especially service organizations) and they need to feel special even during the toughest times. Otherwise they will leave the minute that the economy is back on track. As is said in the book “Good to Great” Jim Collins says “getting the right people in the bus” is more important than even focusing on the right strategy. If you have the right people in the organization then you can ensure that you are creating the right strategy and continuing to create the results you want.