The Trust Company Relationship Manager Tracey Smith spoke with Medium and Authority Magazine about resiliency and adaptability in an ever-changing world.
Success is as often as much about what we stop as what we start. What is one legacy leadership behavior you stopped because you discovered it was no longer valuable or relevant?
I think a lot of times, we get in our team’s way by expecting them to do things the same way we do. We have to stop focusing so much attention on how someone achieves a goal and focus instead on the goal itself. We also have to trust people to figure out their own best ways to get there. Achieving the goal is what matters; the path to getting there is flexible.
What is one lasting leadership behavior you started or are cultivating because you believe it is valuable or relevant?
I’ve mentioned this a couple of times already, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to truly get to know people and find ways to support and motivate them. I’m also a firm believer in congratulating people and giving credit to them, both privately and publicly — whatever the particular situation warrants. This goes a long way in deepening relationships. The better you know your team, the better you know how to utilize them and help them succeed. People want to feel genuinely valued, and these efforts will lead to that.