Anyone Following You?

I love Twitter. I love to scan down the list of tweets from folks that I follow and see what's going on in their world or getting the latest scoop on the news. Its fun, fast and an easy method of communication. I also like adding my own bit of "what's happening?" to the twitter world for my followers. I don't have many followers but I do get a charge from connecting with the ones I have in 140 characters or less.

In the leadership world communication to your followers is a must and vital to leadership development. And what you communicate is just as important as how. Look at how Jesus led his disciples. His leadership involved more than sermons or lectures- he invested in each disciple as an individual. He connected with each one- knowing their strengths and weaknesses- and led accordingly. How do you invest in your followers? I use the following:

(I) Inspire- Taking time to share a personal victory or defeat makes a leader both aunthentic and transparent. It also connects the follower to the leader on a deeper level which builds the trust needed to sustain loyalty to the vision.

(N) Nurture- Showing genuine care and compassion to the folks you lead is not an option. Taking the time to ask, "How are things with ya?" and then actually listening goes a long way in leadership development.

(V) Value- As you invest in your leaders you'll want to tell them over and over how important they are to the mission, vision and goals that you are trying to accomplish together. When your followers feel valued they are more open to honest feedback and constructive criticism which is often necessary in leadership development. Also taking the time to get to know your followers- their family, hobbies, likes and dislikes, passions and so on- will increase you effectiveness in leading them.

(E) Engage- Don't be afraid to stretch your followers as you dream together. Many people are motivated when challenged by their leader. If the challenge results in failure take time to learn from the failure- if there is a victory, take the time to celebrate together.

(S) Smile- Or in my case, grin really big! You have to have fun. Working with people is often exhausting- leading people can literally suck the life right out of you! Take time to have some fun and laugh together.

(T) Thank You- There are no substitutes to saying, "Thank you!" and the more creative you are in saying it the louder it will be heard by your followers.

The number of people following you may not be important but the way you communicate and invest in those that do is crucial to your leadership and your organizations success.