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Who Is Jeff Gibbard?
Jeff Gibbard is a strategist, consultant, coach, speaker, trainer, author, and podcaster.
He is also the founder of The Superhero Institute, a coaching certification program specializing in a methodology that unleashes human potential in service of making the world a safer, kinder and more equitable place.
His latest book, The Lovable Leader: Build Great Teams with Trust, Respect, and Kindness, is focused on helping leaders become the leader people love to follow.
The Lovable Leader
- If you’re like most employees in today’s work environment, you probably have some experience dealing with a boss that made your life a living hell. Unfortunately, these leaders might not have it easy either because leadership is now defined by the bottom line instead of the people driving the bottom line.
- Yes, results matter. But, the future leader will have to be much more than an authority figure ruling with an iron fist.
- That’s why we need a lovable leader — A leader who understands that great teams are built on trust, respect, and kindness.
The Three Pillars of the Lovable Leader
Being loved is one of the most influential things that can happen to you as a leader. Mind you; this doesn’t mean being a pushover. It just means your team respects the high standards you set for yourself and admires the fact that you’re genuinely interested in their needs.
To become a loveable leader, you only need these three pillars to build a positive leadership culture.
1. Care
A caring leader is genuinely interested in the affairs of others. He/she genuinely wants to know the people on the team and connect with them on an intimate level.
Here’s the thing, if you want to effectively influence the people on your team, you must show that you care, and they must know that you care. You don’t have to act like a military sergeant to get people to do their jobs. People will go above and beyond for you if they feel you genuinely care about them.
2. Trust
The second pillar of the lovable leader is trust. Leaders cannot lead if their team members don’t trust their abilities. They can manage, organize, plan, and even succeed, but they cannot lead. Because trust in leadership relates to psychological safety. Employees who trust their leaders expect them to treat them well and have their best interests at heart.
From the leader’s point of view, trust offsets the worries of constantly thinking about the motives behind a person’s actions. However, it’s almost impossible to build trust without care. So leaders need to care about their people before they can begin building trust.
3. Safe Travels
You can have the best plan for your team or develop the most efficient goal-setting strategy for your employees, but if you can’t lead them to achieve a result, it’s all for nothing. Goals ensure your team has a long-term purpose and direction. But helping your team members achieve a goal is what makes you a loveable leader.
According to Jeff, the first step to all this is to build a work environment that makes it easy for the team to win. Inspire them, be on their side, and set smart goals. Your goal is to support better performance, create a clear path, and have a plan. Only then can your team can achieve success.
How Leaders Build Trust In Their Teams
As mentioned earlier, leaders need their team’s trust if they are to build effective teams. But how do you build that trust in an organization?
First, trust is not a gimmick you implement once and forget about it. Trust is a continuous process that involves:
1. Make it about them. Remember, leadership is never about you. Make it about them and always operate in the best interest of your team.
2. Give honest feedback and constantly check in with people about their concerns.
3. Always demonstrate expertise and unbiased judgment. You’re more likely to build trust with your team if they see positive results from your actions and technical know-how.
4. Build an environment of trust. Be consistent in your behavior and always do what you say you will do. Keep the promises you make and follow through on your commitments. People love that.
Links:
Wade Thomas Mastermind
The Lovable Leader: Build Great Teams with Trust, Respect, and Kindness by Jeff Gibbard
The Code of Trust by Robin Dreeke