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Vannoy & Ross

Imagine if all bosses did this: Stood up and bragged about you. And I’m not just talking about at the Christmas party. I’m talking about selective moments, when an influential person in the room sincerely and specficially calls out the brilliance around them.

What sort of difference would that make?

This idea is not original. In fact, there are plenty of leaders who regularly speak publicly of the amazing talent on the team. (You know who you are – and you’re a model for the rest of us.) And can we all agree that the corporate world could benefit from more leaders doing this?

“Talking smack” (speaking poorly about other people) is not reserved for the courts of the NBA. Too many conference rooms are filled with the echoes of leaders talking badly about others. What would happen if more of us were talking “anti-smack” about people on the team?

Cowboys are not people I hang with regularly. Perhaps I should. During a famous Denver rodeo, the announcer consistently spoke about the outstanding human attributes of each contestant. “Ladies and gentlmen, this next rider is a real credit to the profession…” And, “Folks, Tom’s sitting on a back of a horse, but he might be on top of the world. He’s a remarkable father…” And, “Let’s hear it for perhaps the greatest teacher in the arena…”

I was waiting, but never once did I hear the announcer say, “Let’s hope the bull throws and tramples our next contestant…” Or, “You can trust a horse more than you can trust our next rider…”

Nope. It doesn’t work that way, and accomplished leaders know it.  Success won’t be determined by hiring better talent alone; it will only be achieved by calling out the talent of those already on the payroll.

What talent will you call out this week?

BUILD THRIVING, SEAMLESS ORGANIZATIONS

BUILD THRIVING, SEAMLESS ORGANIZATIONS

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