A Litmus for Leadership

As a leader who loves the Church, I use a simple question to determine how well I am leading my team. I have always referred to it as my litmus test for leadership. It consists only of one question, but I believe the answer speaks volumes:

Do the spouses (or significant others) of my employees still like me?

You are  probably thinking, ”why does that matter?” It matters because if the answer is “yes,” my team is healthy. It means they return to their spouses energized from their work, speak positively of their environment, work at a healthy pace and can unplug from work when they get home. If the answer is no, then something—or someone—is amiss. This is a great opportunity to personally reflect or even ask coworkers to evaluate your current leadership style. A couple questions to ask your team members could be:

●     Do you feel equipped to do your job well?

●     Do you feel supported in your role?

We all know there will be seasons with long hours and time away from family. We lean heavily on prayer and each other during those times; however, as a leader, I do my best to protect my team from that being the norm. When you keep your teammates’ well-being at the forefront of your goals, they and their families will give you grace during seasons of constant hustle. Prioritizing your team’s well-being also ensures you start those inevitable tough conversations from a healthy place. When the way you treat your team communicates that you care more about them as people than as merely employees, you will be pleasantly surprised by how they respond to correction and constructive criticism.

Here’s the secret to my leadership strategy: I hire people with character, competency and chemistry. If I can help keep them healthy emotionally, physically and even spiritually, then God will continue to do amazing things through our team.