Approving of People

Approving of People is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines approve as: to have or express a favorable opinion of

Not only do people want to be accepted (see yesterday's post), they want your approval.  There are a variety of writers who caution about seeking approval, needing approval for your own self image, needing approval to validate your existence, etc.  And while I would generally agree that there is wisdom in this sentiment, the reality is that people crave acceptance AND approval.

The effective leader will hone in on this and offer approval to his/her people.  I am not advocating that the leader must approve of every single detail about the individual, BUT, I am echoing Giblin's statement that you can always find something about the person that can garner your approval.  Everybody had something positive that can identified and used as the foundation of building a relationship.

It is also essential that there is sincerity in the offering of the approval.  If you are trying to fake it and offer insincere and/or non-truthful praise, not only will it be found out for the false statement that it is, it will damage and probably destroy and chance of relationship building.

Effective leaders offer sincere approval to everyone for the things that are truly a positive attribute and/or quality the is possessed by each individual.  This is a key to building successful relationships.

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Les Giblin: How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing With People."  Prentice Hall Press. New York. p.66.