Leadership: 7 ways to encourage people to reach the next level

Leadership is about relationships and environments that provoke others to reach for the next level. Moderate discomfort is central to the process.

                 7   ways to allow discomfort:

1.   Believe people will rise to challenges. Helping less is an expression of            confidence.“I believe in you.”
2.  Trust that working through moderate difficulty elevates fulfillment. Work    that isn’t challenging isn’t fun or fulfilling.
3.  Delay helping. Don’t rush to rescue. Ask questions.
 “What have you tried?”
 “What are you learning?”
 “What might you try?”
 Too much help encourages helplessness.
4.  Be available. Helping less isn’t detachment. It’s respect. Participate in conversations about purpose, improvement, process, goals, and achievements.
5.  Challenge directly while providing encouragement. People respect you when you believe in their abilities.
6.  Monitor frustration.
7.  Offer support, like a spotter with a a weightlifter.
 Warning: Too much discomfort is destructive. Think of adding too much weight to the bar.