Put them on your LAPS – Lead And Partner for Success
Please don’t take the first part of the header literally – it may get you in trouble with your compliance officer. In a more metaphorically sense however, putting someone on your “laps” means ‘giving comfort’. Isn’t this what great leaders should do – providing comfort to their people by ensuring meaningful work towards an inspiring vision while nobody is left behind?
The question on “what a leader should stand for” is mostly answered by “being a visionary trusted role model”. People want to look up to their leaders, knowing that they are in good hands – or on save laps, for the metaphor’s sake. Unfortunately, less than 10% of executives see “setting an example for their employees” as one of the most important functions in running a company. At ATvisor™, we strongly belief that leaders should always go that famous extra mile for their people when running a business; the term ‘laps’ pictures these extra rounds.
LAPS as acronym finally stands for “Lead And Partner for Success”. To be successful as a leader, one should not only lead towards a vision, which is ideally dissected into understandable objectives and clear focus areas, but more importantly partner with the people. Once leaders see themselves on the same level with their staffs, investing time in that partnership and building trust through an open feedback culture, a real family feeling can be generated. This will eventually unlock the true talent of every corporate family member.
Staying in that family picture – which we often like to use to make a point – what is so wrong in comparing an employer-employee partnership with that of a marriage – again, purely metaphorically? Both should be foremost based on trust; both should have a common vision and big picture in mind; both should follow mutually agreed principles – and both should be able to get through the one or the other challenge, eventually fighting for a good cause together – rather than against each other. We would not dare to claim a correlation between increasing divorce rates and increasing attrition rates – but are we becoming too complacent, not willing to fight anymore? The saying “people join a company but leave a leader” still holds true.
“Lead And Partner for Success” includes also partnering with “difficult” employees. Since companies don’t hire “difficult” employees, people become “difficult” over time – sometimes due to personal hardship, sometimes due to professional disappointments, sometimes due to someone else. Great leaders understand everyone individually and empathically – rather than letting them go too early.
So, be that leader that retains employees by being a trusted partner, by leading and partnering for success.
Don’t just go the extra mile, run the extra LAPS!
What will you extra LAPS be? Looking forward to your comments on LinkedIn.
If you want to learn more about our Leadership, Self-Development and Change Programs,
- Join our Live & Lead wiser Telegram Channel to get your regular dose of intentionally different thoughts on life & leadership
- Buy our Self-Coaching Book Intentionally Becoming Different and dive into a series of virtual coaching sessions
- Unfold the Serene Leader in You, available on our Academy of ATvisor™
- Contact us, via various platforms for further clarifications
Live & Lead Wiser – Choose ATvisor™, your one-stop change solution provider.
© ATvisor™; Picture Source: ATvisor™
