Chris McClure

In our world of self-promotion, humility isn’t a very popular trait these days. However, to be a leader who attracts high-quality engaged people to your team or organization, it can’t be all about you. While personal branding is valuable in the complex world we live in, there’s a fine line between building your brand and allowing your ego to run wild. 

If you desire to be someone people love to follow, consider the following key ideas and actions to implement in your daily leadership.

1 – Lowering Yourself Requires Strength

Too often, humility is viewed as a weakness because you’re not pounding your chest or shouting “I am the greatest!” like Muhammed Ali, but in reality, it’s a strength. It takes strength to restrain yourself from being egotistical and arrogant. It takes strength to put others’ needs above your own. It takes strength to help others win without receiving all the credit yourself.

2 – Bend Down to Lift Others Up

When you are committed to developing leaders in your organization, you must meet them on their level. In sports, when a player falls to the ground, his or her teammates rush over to help them up. They don’t stand up tall and expect them to come up to their level. Instead, they bend down to grab their hands and lift them up. To help others improve their skills and performance, bend down to meet them where they are, then help them rise up to accomplish new goals.

3 – Gain Respect by Giving Respect

Respect is earned, not simply given. Yes, there is often a “honeymoon” period when leaders receive respect simply because they are hired into certain positions, but it doesn’t last forever. Titles and roles only go so far. Respect is ultimately gained (and kept) through intentional daily actions. When you give respect to those you lead, you are more likely to receive it back. Regardless of the various roles people play in your organization, each person should be valued for who they are, as well as their unique contributions.

Imagine people feeling comfortable enough to approach you because you don’t place yourself on a self-given pedestal.

Imagine your followers trusting you to help them rise to new levels in their own leadership.

Imagine receiving respect simply because of who you are and how you treat others regardless of what roles they serve in your organization.

This can be your reality when you intentionally choose to exemplify humility. Followers appreciate humble leaders who display quiet strength and produce results without having to draw attention to themselves. This doesn’t mean you must suppress your enthusiasm or outgoing personality if that’s natural for you. It’s merely about the posture you take as you interact with your team.

In my new book, The Magnetic Leader: 18 Essential Actions of Leaders People Love to Follow, I go much deeper into Essential Action #16 – Exemplifies Humility. CLICK HERE to learn more and to purchase your copy today!

Until next time…make today GREAT!

In 2009 author and thought leader Simon Sinek published his book Start with Why and it quickly became a hit. The premise of his book is that we too often start by asking ourselves and our teams “how” or “what” we’re supposed to do, but our “why” is the fuel that truly makes things happen. It’s the purpose behind our tactics and strategies.

So many leaders are wearing themselves out by staying busy without being purposeful. When we are purposeful, it alters the way we think and act. It makes us more intentional. It makes us better.

If you want to become a leader who gets the most important things done with and through your followers, consider the following for being a more purposeful leader:

1 – Give of Yourself

Leading with purpose often requires that you set your agenda aside so you can serve your team in meaningful ways, which in turn empowers them to perform better. Leadership isn’t a one-person show. It’s about attracting, training, equipping, and deploying your team members to accomplish well-defined goals and tasks. When you give of yourself to your followers, they are more likely to buy into your leadership and vision. This leads to them working more purposefully.

2 – For the Benefit of Others

Many leaders sacrifice their time, energy, and health trying to receive accolades and pats on the back, but purposeful leaders who attract and retain high-quality team members work for the benefit of those they lead. They find ways to serve them so they can improve their skills and abilities. They help them define their personal goals and help them advance on their career paths. They find ways to add value to their followers daily. They don’t use their position for personal gain and power plays, but rather for enhancing the quality of the workplace environment. This gains favor with followers and motivates them to become better team players so the organization’s goals and objectives are achieved.

3 – For the Sake of the Mission 

Whether stated or not, each organization has a mission to accomplish. So do individuals. When you serve your followers purposefully, you not only help them grow and develop but you also increase your chances of accomplishing your mission more effectively. As a leader, you must continually keep the mission in front of your people. No one should show up to just work, but rather to take the next steps toward accomplishing key goals and objectives. When you serve purposefully as a leader, you set the tone for the team’s performance. They will follow your lead as you guide them to meet personal and team goals.

It’s often been said to serve “without an agenda.” I disagree. The most effective leaders always have a worthy agenda to pursue. The mission of your organization is part of it. The development of your followers is another. Your personal success can be yet another. The key is to keep things ordered so everyone has the chance to be successful. 

Imagine having a team of men and women who show up with a passion to pursue your organization’s mission each day. 

Imagine having dedicated followers who are excited to be on your team and recruit other talented people to help you achieve your mission.

Imagine ending each day feeling accomplished and enthusiastic because you are making consistent progress. 

All this can be your reality when you choose to serve purposefully rather than working in a random, scattered manner.

In my new book, The Magnetic Leader: 18 Essential Actions of Leaders People Love to Follow, I go much deeper into Essential Action #15 – Serves Purposefully. CLICK HERE to learn more and to purchase your copy today!

Until next time…make today GREAT!

Leadership is ultimately about people, but many leaders often lose sight of this amidst the busyness of their schedules and the pressures of deadlines. In order to develop a highly engaged, high-performing team, you must ensure that you don’t neglect building quality relationships with your followers. 

While doing this isn’t necessarily easy, you can become a much better people manager by implementing the following three strategies:

1 – Build Relationships With Your People

Leadership that transforms lives and organizations is highly relational. To attract and retain high-performers, you must prioritize building relationships with your followers. As you do this, you’ll get to know their stories, strengths, and weaknesses. You’ll be able to understand their personal visions for their lives. You’ll become a leader they trust and want to follow with more energy and enthusiasm. Choose to be a relationship builder and watch how your influence grows.

2 – Foster Relationships Between Your People

Building personal relationships with your people is critical, but can’t be your end goal. You must also ensure that your followers are relating well with one another. Think like an air traffic controller who is seated higher up to see what’s happening on the ground so planes don’t collide on the runways or at the terminals. Think about how they monitor computer screens to ensure that there are no collisions in the air. As a leader, you can connect people to one another in ways they wouldn’t think about. You can head off problems before they happen. You can encourage your followers to build relationships with each other, which will strengthen the team. Choose to be a people connector.

3 – Champion Relationships In Your Organization

Steps one and two are focused on what you personally do, but this third step leads to your followers taking ownership of relationships as well. When you champion relationships throughout your organization, it becomes a better place to work. People become more energized as they feel more connected with their peers. You can’t be everywhere all the time, so make it a priority to encourage ongoing relationships to be built and fostered. While some people will take this more seriously than others, everyone can contribute.

Imagine having a workplace culture that is enjoyable and energizing.

Imagine knowing your people so well that you can help them succeed and grow faster than ever before. 

Imagine having a team of well-connected people who are looking out for each other and are willing to step in and help as needed. 

Make the commitment to prioritize relationships in your leadership and you’ll begin to reap the benefit of deeper trust and improved effort among your team.  

In my new book, The Magnetic Leader: 18 Essential Actions of Leaders People Love to Follow, I go much deeper into Essential Action #14 – Prioritizes People. CLICK HERE to learn more and to purchase your copy today!

Until next time…make today GREAT!

Teaching your followers what to do is critical to your organization’s success. However, it can’t stop there if you want to achieve peak performance. It also requires equipping them for growth so they (and you) can experience greater success. As with other key aspects of leadership, many leaders find themselves unsure about how to do this well. 

If you want to become a leader people love to follow, implement the following three action steps so your team members can reach new levels of success:

1 – Cast Vision for Stepping Up

In order for anyone to reach new levels of success in any area of their life, a new vision must be placed before them. Think about mountain climbing. If all you do is stare at the base of the mountain, nothing will change. However, when you look up at the peak, all sorts of things begin to happen. New thoughts emerge. Fears and doubts emerge. The excitement begins to build and adrenaline begins to race through your veins. Dreams of accomplishing a monumental challenge flow through your mind. Vision becomes the driving force of achieving new goals and objectives. Leaders must be vision-casters if they want their teams to tackle new challenges and succeed at new levels.

2 – Equip for Climbing Up

Once the vision is shared, it is the leader’s job to ensure that each team member has the tools and resources to be successful. Telling someone to climb Mt. Everest without the proper gear is setting them up for failure. Expecting your team members to accomplish big goals without making sure they have the training and tools to succeed does the same thing. Make sure your followers have what they need to be successful. As the leader, you’re often asking people to go where they’ve never gone before. This requires that you do your own research to make sure you give them the tools they need.

3 – Celebrate Reaching New Heights

Many leaders struggle with celebrating success. We can be so future-focused that we neglect to celebrate the wins along the way. If you want to help your followers maintain momentum and feel energized to tackle future challenges, become intentional about celebrating wins. If it’s a big win, celebrate big! If it’s a small win, acknowledge it in simple ways that show your people that you noticed their efforts paying off. I’ve heard it said that what gets celebrated gets repeated. If you want your team to stay motivated long-term, throw more parties when milestones are reached.

Imagine having a team of fired-up followers energetically taking on any challenge you throw their way. 

Imagine having people with incredible confidence because they know they have the training and tools needed to be successful.

Imagine casting vision and then having confidence that your team will immediately step up and take action. 

This can be your reality when you consciously choose to equip your followers to climb successfully. You’ll be thrilled at their results and you’ll gain favor with your people because they’ll know you have their best interest in mind.

In my new book, The Magnetic Leader: 18 Essential Actions of Leaders People Love to Follow, I go much deeper into Essential Action #13 – Equips Climbers. CLICK HERE to learn more and to purchase your copy today!

Until next time…make today GREAT!