When a team’s core values include a commitment to achieving resolution, it fortifies the team’s sense of purpose, builds its confidence, fuels its energy, increases its motivation, and strengthens the bond of mutual trust between team members. It feels as though things are consistently moving forward – progress is always being made. An intentional day-to-day focus on achieving resolution – and not leaving things dangling – helps create organizations that people want to work for and leaders that people want to follow.
We know what it feels like to wake up in the morning with unresolved issues that we’ve left dangling longer than we should have. Our energy starts draining from the anxieties that unresolved issues evoke. But when we are resolving issues throughout the day, even though we are working harder than if we had not addressed them, we feel more energized at the end of the day than we felt at the beginning. We feel equipped and eager for the next challenge. This is the energy we gain by achieving resolution. A temperament for achieving resolution provides energy, and accomplishing tasks provides more energy. This applies to teams as well as individuals.
Here are 3 qualities of your leadership style that can help you build an energized and productive culture of resolution that your entire team can embrace.
Decisiveness
Decisiveness plays an important role in a leader’s reputation and credibility. Indecisiveness is a frequent complaint employees have about their managers. When leaders are indecisive, the motivation of their team declines. People want decisions and answers. When you provide the decisions and answers they need, their confidence soars, and with it their motivation.
But suppose you truly cannot give an answer. Explain why you can’t give the answer, explain what it will take to get it, and then say how long it will take. Instead of giving an answer, you are making a commitment to get an answer. Then it becomes a matter of honoring the commitment.
Follow Through
The benefits of diligent follow through are similar to those of decisiveness, for both the leader and the team. Likewise, the price of poor follow through is similar to that of indecisiveness.
The essence of follow through is simple:
- Finish what you start.
- Do what you say you’ll do when you say you’ll do it.
A “What Will It Take?” Mentality
A resolution-focused leader radiates a contagious spirit of, “What will it take to meet this challenge?” There’s no question that it’s possible, and we won’t stop until we find a way. A resolution-focused culture is unstoppable! When people see this fierce, unbeatable determination in their leader, it raises their confidence – not only in the leader, but also in themselves and in their mission. A “What will it take?” mentality is a vital element in an environment of resolution.
When you are intentional about leading a culture of resolution that includes decisiveness, follow through, and a “What will it take?” mentality, it will increase your team’s energy, purpose, motivation and results.