Business imposes a duty of leadership on us. Not just for ourselves but also for those whom we lead: our customers, our consumers, and our colleagues.
Success in business is simple, based on first principles, and yet so often forgotten. What attracted the first customer to your business? What kept them coming back? I bet that it was your patience and your kindness. An often repeated mantra with online sales is that one should give more than one receives and that by giving, one builds up a reputation and trust.
Patience and kindness… everyone responds to these two key traits. Being kind is being compassionate, intuitive, and conscious or in the moment. The greatest leaders inspire teams who willingly go the extra mile for the customer and who are more than happy to put aside all of their personal issues just to be there for the customer. Kindness breeds patience. A customer that is made welcome is never rushed.
A long time ago, I watched “Jerry Maguire,” and while Jerry committed career suicide and had to scramble to retain his customers, he spent ll of his time and attention on one single athlete. His phone lines went dead one after the next as he tried his best to persuade just one athlete to stay with him. Even with all of the tragedy and challenges in his life, he simply was there for that athlete and showed true, personal leadership.
Heartfelt leadership is patience and kindness. Patience to give colleagues the space and time to make mistakes, and kindness to let them make those mistakes without fearing for their futures. Patience to let them figure out the 999 wrong ways to do something, kindness to be there to guide them back onto the right path.
It is only once we are able to consistently give out patience and kindness that our teams start to thrive, to gel together, and to excel. By leading this way, we establish a positive culture for the company, inclusivity where all have the space and psychological safety to express themselves. This heartfelt leadership will ripple through the company, content, and people.
Imbuing these qualities in the company’s culture and client relationship becomes a “secret weapon” business strategy that will catapult your brand and create a generation of raving fans or brand ambassadors.
Technology has made information ubiquitous, and at the same time, the fear of being sued has created a generation where information is dumped on the customer rather than being used to coach the customer. Data has become meaningless as we have lost the wisdom and experience to synthesize it into meaningful and lasting connections.
We have countless friends on social media, endless connections and yet we no longer seem to have the trusted advisor at the local store who knows just what we are looking for. We have lost the relationship with our service providers where they would know all about you and be able to meet and guide you within your framework.
We have all the creature comforts we can imagine, and if something is missing, it can be delivered to our doorstep within 24 hours. Yet, our hearts feel that we are missing a meaningful and purposeful life where we have a direct connection with each other.
Companies that put patience and kindness at the heart of what they do put people-first and profit second, and yet these companies tend to outperform those with the reverse priorities. People have an intrinsic need to be seen, to be understood, to be known and appreciated for whom they are.
The customers that I made when I was starting ou as a salesperson have become more than just a number; they are my personal friends. Some were upfront and told me they had no money or would never be able to buy from me. Yet, when they were given the responsibility to renew their laboratories, they turned to me – I was there for them, and I was no longer just a salesperson, but rather I was now a trusted advisor. Similarly, the customers whom I squeezed for a quick deal never remained as customers, they felt that I was not into them, and they responded in kind.
Acquiring a customer is expensive, so by creating a friend, I ensured that these friends would remain my customer forever, ensuring that my business unit would remain profitable long after they and I left.
Take the time to discover the goals, desires, fears, and hopes of those around you, whether a customer, business partner, life partner or just the person packing your groceries at the till. Create a moment where you are both present and make a connection. Practice the skills that lead to kindness and patience, and soon you will find that the heavy lifting of leadership is done for you.
A surprising side-effect of this approach is that it starts to have a ripple effect on those around you – you are basically “paying it forward,” and they start mimicking your virtue-based leadership, amplifying your impact. Great coaches have learned this trick a long time ago nd consistently get their teams to outstrip every expectation, achieving goals that were thought to be out of their reach. These teams are more risk-tolerant and innovative because they know that they are intrinsically supported.
In the 21st century, we are seeing a return to basics, a return to the values that our grandparents lived by, a return to true connections. How many times do we hear “be true to yourself”, ” be authentic”, “give away more than you receive?” It is by expressing and embodying these values, by living them every day that business owner, entrepreneurs and leaders grow their followers and grow their bottom lines.