Motivation Excellence’s Response to the Airline Crisis of 2022 & Beyond
A White Paper by Brad Hecht, Vice President, Travel
What crisis you say? Perhaps you haven’t tried to book a flight this year or maneuver your way through the rebooking nightmare going on right now. The friendly skies aren’t so friendly for anyone currently, other than perhaps the airlines’ bottom lines.
The big three airlines (American, United and Delta) have made record profits to date in 2022. And that’s despite increasing fuel prices! Passengers are being charged fees and penalties for changes, cancellations and dropping of blocked space. Add on record high fares, full planes, fewer flights, less staff and you can see it’s all going well…for the airlines. According to FlightGlobal.com, American Airlines’ 2022 Q3 profits beat earnings projections by 13%, even though air miles flown were down 10%.
I have been fortunate enough to be in the incentive travel industry since 1984, and I have never seen anything like what we are currently facing. What’s happening? Well, here are some of the issues:
Supply Is Down
- Fewer flights are operating, and they are often heavily booked
- Pilot and staff shortages from forced retirement and pandemic layoffs are creating a ripple effect
Prices Are Rising
- Airfares are up about 40% year over year
- Fuel costs continue to fluctuate, with varied global pricing, contributing to added fuel surcharges and consumer price hikes
- Nonstop flights are being priced at a premium due to high demand.
Group Travel Is Being Hit
- Group travel air (blocked) space is extremely limited and is priced at a premium, as much as 50% more compared to pre-pandemic pricing
- Group air space is the most restrictive of all fare offerings, making it hard or impossible to make changes or cancellations
- “Free sell” (individually ticketed) space is limited but is still less expensive than group space
- Frequent schedule changes are negating any group space that is held
- Group seating continues to be a problem as there are not enough seats to cover the amount of group tickets sold.
Flights Are in Flux with No Flexibility
- Flights are being canceled (crew, weather, maintenance), or flight time changes result in misconnections or very long layovers that aren’t conducive to anyone really, but group travel especially, with special group events depending on timely arrivals
- Canceled flights result in very few re-accommodation options on any carrier
- Seats together and preferred seating are also a problem due to seating being blocked by the carrier or the equipment changes to an alternate aircraft with a different seating configuration.
Customer Service Is Struggling
- Airlines’ customer service is at an all-time low with many people being bumped from flights or downgraded involuntarily and not notified
- Calls into airlines often take hours, if not longer
In a service industry, all of the above points would normally constitute a boycott. Can you imagine going to a restaurant that gave you limited options to eat, changed your order without telling you, made you move from the corner booth you reserved to a two-top by the kitchen and then served your food to another table but still brought you the check?
Unfortunately, for consumers of air travel, we’re not in a great position. The airlines, however, are anticipating consumer demand will not falter even with inflation and the knowledge that airlines are operating at a considerable price increase (which will pad their profits). American Airlines predicts 2022 Q4 revenues will be up to 36% higher than Q4 2021.
So, where does that put incentive group travel now and in the near future?
While we continue to strive to provide the best flight options at the best prices, we are at the mercy of the carrier’s schedule and fares. There is no incentive for carriers to add more flights unless those markets will be highly lucrative. We have been assured by all the majors that they are trying to ramp up offerings of more flights and better fares. Depending on the carrier, this could happen anywhere from 9 months to up to 3 years from now.
Here at Motivation Excellence, our strategy for group travel is to continue to work a hybrid model of group bookings. We will obtain group block space whenever it’s necessary and affordable; or secure a chartered aircraft, if it makes the best sense for a particular group.
At the same time, we will free sell (individually book flights based on the best price for the route) a portion of the group to accommodate the needs of our guests. Our desire is to offer our travelers the best flight options available while balancing the block space and the free sold fares to keep the overall average fares reasonable.
We are diligently reviewing the ever-changing airline space and continually adjusting our hybrid model to stay ahead of everyone else looking for the best fares. Our promise to our clients is we will not stop doing this and just accept what is going on in this crazy market.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to Motivation Excellence if you have questions about any of our performance improvement strategies, whether they involve incentive travel or other reward solutions.
Safe travels!
Get to Know ME with Laurie Ackles
Our Motivation Excellence sales team grew recently with the addition of Laurie Ackles as Account Manager. She brings with her a long history in the incentive industry. In this edition of Get to Know ME, Laurie shares insights on collaboration, what makes her laugh and a couple of pretty cool talents! Thanks, Laurie for letting us get to know you more!
What’s your title and how long have you been in the incentive industry?
Account Manager. I’ve been in the incentive industry for more than 25 years and just recently joined Motivation Excellence.
What does your job entail?
I partner with clients to deliver amazing incentive travel experiences. I also work with our team to develop innovative solutions to help clients grow their businesses and provide high-quality customer service.
What’s something special about the people you work with that you’d like to share?
They are incredibly talented and experienced. They are fully invested in delivering creative solutions and providing a high level of care to our clients. Each team member is truly dedicated to making a difference in the work they do.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
Does raising triplets count? If so, that’s my talent! My trio just graduated from their universities last spring and are off and running in their career paths.
Possible unknown talent – I was inducted into my high school’s Hall of Fame for our girls’ golf team winning the state championship.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
My family and my desire to please others are constant drivers for me. That and the fear of being a deadbeat.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Going to concerts and sporting events with friends and family, playing golf, watching movies, traveling, trying out new restaurants, reading, and walking our Golden Retriever, Bailey.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
My husband, for sure, but also Will Ferrell, Jim Gaffigan, the Smartless podcast, and Seinfeld episodes.
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
I was in a weekly Zoom discussion group working through “The Artist’s Way” book by Julia Cameron, with 18 women I had never met before, from all over the country. It was an incredible experience that involved weekly discussion, reading, and journaling. It really kept me energized and focused during that time period. Also going for long walks with my dog, cooking for my family, wine, and Netflix.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
Being a travel director and visiting 6 continents before I was 30 years old was the best and most unusual job I’ve ever had. It’s also how I met my husband and some of our best friends.
This month, our theme for social media is teamwork/collaboration. What benefits of working together do you find professionally and/or personally?
I love working as a team and am fueled by connection and collaboration with friends and work colleagues. I learn so much from listening to other people. I’ve worked remotely for about 20 years, so I’m used to it, but it can be isolating, so I truly appreciate face-to-face interaction whenever possible.
A Quarter for Your Thoughts on Year-End Rewards
A penny just doesn’t entice anyone for their thoughts anymore (or ever?). What does get people thinking, is how best to reward their top performers at the end of the year. We are here to help you take that train of thought all the way into the station with flair!
At Motivation Excellence, with our vast team of program designers, we know what motivates performance improvement. It’s our specialty. We also know from decades of understanding emotional decisions that some rewards shine far brighter than others. We’ve found the more choice someone has in deciding their own reward, the better the results for you and them!
Think this through with us. It’s the end of the year (or quarter, or promotion, you get the idea) and you’ve done really well because of the people integral to your business. You want them to benefit from their extraordinary performance AND you want them to have those warm, fuzzy feelings about your company so they remain engaged, happy and loyal.
Now picture their faces when you hand them a bonus. They’re pretty happy, right? They’re smiling and thinking of all the ways they’d love to spend that extra money. We’ve all had a windfall before and know the routine. You spend it in your head in ten different ways, on really cool things, but once it gets deposited into your checking account, it actually gets spent on gas, groceries and repairing a flat tire before the fun ever gets started. They’re grateful for sure, but they might not have any kind of lasting memory to tie fondly to you and your company.
Now imagine you hand them a lifestyle upgrade reward package that includes a mountain bike, a mount for their car and safety lights. Or, it includes their choice of three high-tech kitchen gadgets and a gift card to order steak or seafood. Perhaps, it’s a travel package with airline and hotel gift cards, a new piece of luxury luggage and a hot air balloon experience. With our MAXRewardsYourWay solution, we can build amazing reward packages at a variety of price points ($2,500 and up), so your top achievers can choose what reward is best for them!
Here’s the best part. Recipients LOVE their reward because they chose it. They post about it on social media. They take photos and show their friends and family. They use the items regularly and when they do, they’re reminded they earned them through their work with YOU. An emotional connection is established, which often leads to a long-term bond.
This works for channel partners too! If you’re looking to push out a new product, gain market share, or reward long-time loyalty, offering an incentive in the form of a highly promotable reward package is easy and affordable.
To recap, here are some of the many benefits of our MAXRewardsYourWay offering as we head into the end of the year:
- Our lifestyle packages can be customizable to your recipients’ needs
- You only pay for the packages selected
- There are low administration costs
- You get high flexibility for your budget
We have a wide variety of other solutions ready to reward your best people too. From instant appreciation in the form of restaurant and retail gift cards with MAXRewardsNOW, to long-term incentive programs with rewards like five-star, one-of-a-kind travel experiences, Motivation Excellence is ready to help you Inspire Extraordinary Performance with the people who mean the most to your business’s success.
This thought train has now arrived at the station – hop on to conduct your year-end reward strategy to the fullest. Choo-choo! Contact us today to recognize your top performers at me@motivationexcellence.com.
Get to Know ME with Judi Froehlich
Judi Froehlich is a few months into her role as Global Strategic Account Director at Motivation Excellence, but she brings a wealth of experience and more than a pinch of pizzazz! Thank you Judi for letting us Get to Know you. Read on and watch her video. You’ll learn that she’s light on her toes and quick to throw a smile your way.
What’s your title and how long have you been in the incentive industry?
My title is Global Strategic Account Director, and I bring nearly 30 years of experience in the Meeting and Incentive industry to my role at Motivation Excellence. I’m new to the team and look forward to creating amazing programs together!
What’s something special about the people you work with that you’d like to share?
Each team member is truly entrenched in our culture and focused on customer success. They are also just great people!
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I dance (amateur) Latin dance and tango. I can also sing all the words to Rappers Delight.😊
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
I am motivated differently based on the item I am trying to accomplish. I aspire to bring great solutions to clients and have an impact on their business and feel such accomplishment when we can measure that or see the reaction from participants at an event. In my personal life, I am inspired by giving back and bringing a bit of joy to others to whom I am close.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy anything outdoors! I love playing and watching sports and watching live music every chance I get.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
Dry humor and quick wit.😊
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
I tried to stay connected with family, friends and colleagues to ensure everyone was doing okay and had some fun Zoom activities. On the Zoom front, I joined many immersive activities across the globe that I may not have had the chance to enjoy otherwise. I did cooking classes with Nonna in Tuscany, another cooking class with celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, and virtual Latin dance classes with Max and Val Chmerkovskiy from DWTS.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
Not sure if it was unusual, but during college, I worked as a tour guide at the Queen Mary and Spruce Goose Dome…and can still share a few (probably useless) factoids.
This month, our theme for social media is imposter syndrome. How do you combat feeling “less than” even though you’re a high-achieving woman in the industry?
Most people suffer from self-doubt at times, and the key is acknowledging it.
One strategy I use is to journal and acknowledge even the smallest of victories/successes each day. It is also helpful to be authentic and true to your strengths and stop measuring against others. One of my favorite quotes is “in order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different,” by Coco Chanel.
Imposter Syndrome: Knock Self-doubt Out of Your Head
Photo credit: Arisa Chattasa, Unsplash
Did you know the people most likely to suffer from imposter syndrome are high-achieving, go-getters? It’s ironic, isn’t it? The people who most deserve to feel good about their accomplishments end up second-guessing their abilities and downplaying their skills. It can be a vicious cycle, tearing the core of someone’s confidence to shreds and creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Women seem to fall to this fraudulent feeling more often than men, but a Harvard Business Review article claims that has more to do with existing workplace biases than anything else.
Are You Prone to Imposter Syndrome?
There is a general consensus that certain personality types do lend themselves to suffering from imposter syndrome more than others. Healthline.com outlines the characteristics of each.
- Perfectionist
- Natural Genius
- Rugged Individualist
- Expert
- Superhero
No matter what dominates your personality make-up, it’s important to recognize if you tend to minimize the good and catastrophize the bad when it comes to your personal experiences. We’re not talking about being humble or falling on your sword here either. Imposter syndrome is internal, not external. It lives inside your mind, casting a cloud of doubt over all your bright spots. Psycom has a quiz you can take to see if you’re prone to overwhelming self-doubt despite evidence to the contrary.
Don’t Listen to the Devil
We’ve all seen the image of an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. People with imposter syndrome tend to lean toward listening to the devil. In this case, the little red character isn’t telling them to do something bad, it’s telling them they are bad. Bad at what they do. Bad at making decisions. Bad at managing crisis situations. Bad at doing whatever it is they actually do very well!
This leads to incessant worry that they’ll be discovered as a fraud and lose their position. An especially painful twist is that those who feel like an imposter take on all the blame for their mistakes, but none of the glory for their accomplishments.
Fight Fairly – Especially with Yourself
A Forbes.com article gives tips to combat the imposter phenomenon, including talking about it with other professionals in your ranks. There are a lot of other ideas to help you too. Some of our favorites are below.
Stop the negative feedback loop: talk back to yourself, defend your abilities with a passion
Claim your wins – big and small: actually, write them down as they happen and keep them visible as a reminder
Realize your limitations: don’t expect to excel at everything, or be perfect at anything the first time around
Create a Trusted Circle: know the people you can turn to for an honest take on how you’re feeling
Recognize luck versus work: if you can recreate it, it’s not luck, it’s your hard work
Finally, know you’re not alone! According to Psycom, roughly 70% of people in the U.S. experience imposter syndrome at some point in their lives. It may come and go depending on the situation, so having several tools to fight it is important. Find the ways that help you the most and then share them with someone else struggling to accept their awesomeness!
Get to Know ME with Bob Hertel
Bob Hertel, from our travel department, is a man of few words but exhibits sly humor and wise observations. As a long-timer in the industry, Bob helps us create outstanding travel programs filled with “Wow!” moments that motivate people to be sure to attend the following year! Keep reading, and watch the short video (like I said, few words…), to learn more about Bob! Thanks, Bob, for letting us Get to Know you better.
What’s your title and how long have you been in the incentive industry and at VIKTOR/Motivation Excellence?
I’m the Travel Purchasing and Planning Manager. It’s been 17 years in the incentive business with VIKTOR and now Motivation Excellence, but 25 years total in the events industry.
What does your job entail?
Working with sales to understand a client’s needs. Sourcing vendors. Building budgets. Building proposals. Vendor relations.
What’s something special about the people you work with that you’d like to share?
It’s a good group of people who really care about the clients and their guests.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
It’s unknown for a reason.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
Being able to provide a comfortable life for me and my family.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Watching and attending Michigan State football and basketball games. Home improvement. Building sets for musicals when my kids were in high school.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
Any clever comedy. I really dislike formulaic comedy (think Friends).
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
A ton of home improvement.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
Cue cards for a Disney Channel show.
This month, our theme for social media is about competition and how it can benefit both personal and professional growth. How do you feel about competition? Do you regularly use it to meet goals?
I like competition and generally think it’s healthy. Do I use it to meet goals… not really. I try to compete with myself to improve. When I see people competing to be the smartest one in the room, it generally does not help get anyone across the finish line any better or faster.
The Above and Beyond Foundation Hero Awards at Motivation Excellence
Two Motivation Excellence Employees Get First Agency “Heroes of Hospitality” Awards!
It’s with great pleasure and pride we announce that The Above and Beyond Foundation awarded two Heroes of Hospitality awards to two of our teammates at Motivation Excellence! They are the first winners awarded this honor at a travel and incentive agency. Past winners have come from hotels and destination management companies.
Let’s meet our winners! Susan Rizzi is a Customer Service Specialist who works daily with our clients’ participants who need assistance redeeming their award points for just about anything. Susan has helped people use their points for engagement rings, complicated travel reservations and home improvement projects, to name just a few. What makes Susan really stand out is her willingness to work outside business hours to make sure her participants get the personal and high-touch service they earned through their incentive programs. Oh, and her sparkling personality goes a long way too!
Our second winner, Tina Roszak, is part of our travel team as a Program Manager. Tina was recently assigned a travel program to manage with only a few months turnaround time. Normally, our travel teams have well over a year to plan and execute a program. She led the way for a successful program in less-than-ideal circumstances. Tina’s always positive and can-do attitude really stands out in every program she manages!
If you’re up for a feel-good, tear-inducing video, watch both of our winners get the surprise announcement at a recent company-wide event right here.
The Above and Beyond Foundation started four years ago as a way to reward frontline hospitality workers and help them achieve their professional and personal growth goals. During the pandemic, it became a lifeline to industry workers who were laid off or had their hours drastically reduced. Motivation Excellence sourced and delivered $500 gift cards for TAABF to award to those who applied for assistance. There are three awards available through the foundation: Heart of Hospitality, Heroes of Hospitality and Helping Hospitality.
We value our partnership with this great industry organization. We are truly honored to be the first travel and incentive agency to award two of our employees!
Using Competition to Sharpen Your Edge
Yes, some people can be too competitive. It can be seen as a turn-off. This blog, however, is going to give reasons why competition, when done in a healthy manner, is great for business and personal growth.
Competition as a Motivator
OxygenMag.com says competition actually helps boost our capacity to learn and thrive. In addition, it’s a great motivator. We see the latter to be especially true in many of our Motivation Excellence programs. Whether the reward is an amazing group travel experience or a points-based program where earners can spend those points on almost anything they desire, programs with leaderboards amp up the excitement and the results.
Pat Benninger, one of our Senior Program Managers, works with our clients and their participants daily. In one program, where a major flooring company’s channel distributors were competing for a group travel award to a brand-new resort in Mexico, Benninger says the competition increased engagement.
“I had participants sending me emails regularly checking their sales to make sure they were ranking correctly. Did it increase competition? Yes!”
Shannon O’Shaughnessy, another Senior Program Manager, agrees, saying recognizing top performers publicly is a great result of using leaderboards in her programs. But there are many other benefits for her clients.
“We can do a lot of cool things with leaderboards, such as filtering and toggles to show different leaderboard views based on participant type, company, hierarchy levels or other tracking elements. This competitive information helps our clients’ sales teams utilize customer information and help spur more competition among them.”
One final example of using competition in the incentive world comes from a longtime client in the fencing industry who shared that during the last month of a program period his sales team gets calls daily from their customers looking not only for their rank on the leaderboard but how close they are to taking over the spot above them. The reward for this group is an all-expense paid travel experience with other high-achieving fencing contractors around the country. Top-notch entertainment, access to the executive team and valued vendors all add to the incredible reward.
Keeping it Friendly
As stated earlier, there are some people who see competition with dingy dismay colored glasses. Bustle.com writes that when it comes to your career though, some healthy competition can take you a long way. They list seven ways to be more competitive in the workplace, without being a jerk (so important!). Among them are using competition to push yourself out of your comfort zone and figuring out what makes you different from your most inspirational coworker.
Back in the OxygenMag.com article mentioned earlier, the author suggests four steps to employ to keep the challenge fun and friendly.
- Pre-plan: spell out the rules, timeline and touchpoints
- Pick the prize: does the winner get something special?
- Track your progress: the challenge should be pushing you toward some goal
- Reality check: don’t be afraid to reassess and reframe the competition if it’s getting too hard, or a lost friendship might be in the balance
It’s Not About Coming in First
I know, that seems a bit counterintuitive, but you can be in a competition and not place all the emphasis on winning. The goal should be to beat yourself. Outperform your last quarter’s sales. Run a mile in less time. Give out more compliments this month.
Quite simply, you may end up in a competition where the natural talent of your competitors will always outscore you. That’s when you really need to look at personal improvement over comparisons to others. As long as you are moving ahead, you’re winning! Even if you come in 2nd, 3rd or dead last…if you improved over the last result, you’ve used competition to your advantage.
Competition drives us to be better. It helps businesses innovate and individuals meet goals. Whether you’re going up against colleagues, friends or yourself, being in a competitive challenge keeps you motivated and helps ward off complacency. Even if you’ve never thought that being competitive is part of your natural genes, start implementing some of the strategies you’ve read here and see how they work for you!
Get to Know ME with Jillian Fehrenbach
Jillian Fehrenbach is a multi-talented hobbyist and a very helpful member of the Motivation Excellence team! In this month’s Get to Know ME edition, you can read below, and watch her video, to learn more about her love of a very specific literary genre, her nickname (the Junk Store Witch) and why she loves collaborating at home and work. Thanks, Jillian for letting us get to know you better!
What’s your title and how long have you been in the incentive industry and Motivation Excellence?
I’m a Customer Service Specialist with some of our rewards programs and also assist with writing marketing content. I have worked in the incentive industry for VIKTOR since 2016, and recently began with Motivation Excellence beginning in January 2022.
What does your job entail?
For our clients, I help administer their reward and recognition programs, and for their participants, I assist with orders. I also write incentive travel and social media copy.
What’s something special about the people you work with you’d like to share?
I’ve enjoyed meeting more coworkers as our two companies came together. What I like about our new combined team is that the individuals that make up this group are approachable and professional. Whether working together or autonomously, the vibe is positive/flexible/reliable, which makes the job even more satisfying.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I’m really into vintage things and a pretty good ‘picker’ at thrift stores and garage sales. Before I head out to shop, friends and family have gotten into the habit of asking what I hope to find. They know I’ll usually find it and for just a buck or two. Being able to summon a Bodum milk frother or cultured pearls, for example, at secondhand stores has earned me the nickname “Junk Store Witch.”
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
I’m very visual and I like to collaborate. When I look at something, I immediately think about how to elevate it and contribute value. Helping coworkers, customers, clients, family and friends brings me joy, especially if I’m easing someone’s load.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
You mean other than thrifting? Gardening! During the spring, summer and fall, I enjoy spending my free time in the yard and at my friend’s flower farm, weeding the rows and building bouquets to sell. I also love to collect books, knit with friends, and cook from scratch.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
Goofy personalities! My husband’s wise-cracking keeps me laughing, as do my favorite funny shows: I Love Lucy, Drunk History, Derry Girls and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
What have you done that helped you get through the pandemic?
I set up an Etsy shop and joined the online community of resale marketers. I had always wanted to sell my vintage finds and found that photographing and writing about them was a nice distraction during the pandemic.
What is the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
I was a print catalog writer for a large Christian retail chain. Following a fast-paced daily schedule, I worked with merchandise buyers, vendors and designers to conceptualize, write, and proofread bi-monthly product catalogs. It was collaboration on steroids!
This month, our theme for social media is about leadership – both being one and teaching someone else to be a leader. What aspects of leadership do you utilize?
As a mom of an adult child and a teenager, I see similarities between parenting and workplace leadership. I have learned the importance of being present and empathic no matter where I am or who I’m with. I think of a leader as someone who stays positive and encouraging while navigating change. I see a lot of value in finding constructive ways to handle stress. I try to start with a plan based in collaboration while being ready for anything. Currently, I am helping my teenage daughter learn about leadership choices she can make as she takes on her first job and volunteers in the community.
Congratulations, You’re a Leader, Now Teach Others to be the Same!
There are people who, perhaps, are “born leaders,” but that doesn’t make them great leaders, nor does it leave everyone else out of the game. While personality can go a long way, anyone with the determination to learn leadership skills can have great success, and in turn, pass those skills off to a new group of eager learners.
Qualities of great leaders include:
- Thirst for lifelong learning
- High level of integrity
- Empathy
- Ability to delegate
- Trustworthy
- Self-awareness
The Center of Creative Leadership adds great communication skills into their list of ten leadership traits. Being able to coach someone, inspire them, and create a level of trust relies greatly on a leader’s ability to communicate and listen effectively. (Check out our Active Listening blog next.)
Once you become a leader, it’s time to teach the skills you’ve honed (or are always honing, to be more honest) to other people in your realm—at work, in community organizations, on sports teams, etc.
Lead the Way
In a business sense, having a company full of people with leadership abilities is amazing! That’s where innovation and problem solving come to life. Having employees who “think like an owner” creates positive customer experiences. Employees who aren’t micromanaged feel more respected and are more engaged with company goals. As long as egos stay in check, leaders at every level can serve a business well.
Famed motivational speaker and author, Tony Robbins, says teaching leadership includes instilling both hard and soft skill sets. The goal is to help amplify strengths and improve weaknesses. He writes about seven strategies to teach leadership, including:
- Earning trust – People won’t come to you in the first place if they don’t trust you’ll listen, show respect and give guidance rather than dictates.
- Challenging employees – Hand out new projects with opportunities to succeed or fail. You’ll see who rises to the challenge, learns from mistakes, and comes back for more.
- Building an open culture – Create a culture that encourages questions and communication, not one where people fear speaking up will end in embarrassment or retribution.
Obviously, leading by example is critical too. Display your best leadership abilities, and if you falter, call it out or apologize if needed. Everyone makes mistakes. Owning those mistakes and learning from them are hallmarks of great leaders!
The World Is Our Best Teacher
Encouraging employees (or students or your kids) to get out in the community is a great way for them to learn leadership skills outside of work, school, or home. Indeed says volunteering teaches a core tenant of leadership: helping people. Whether they’re assisting at a homeless shelter, coaching a youth soccer club, or participating in scouts or a church group, people who volunteer are learning compassion and kindness. Those are two more traits of great leaders.
Another way to use the community as a resource is to have your leadership mentee pick a leader they really admire and study that person. It can be someone famous or not. Have your “student” list out why this person is a good leader and apply some of those traits to their own situation. Are there traits they’d change or improve? How can they use one new leadership trait that day?
Follow to Lead
Teaching leadership is an ongoing process. Learning how to be a leader is too. Setting goals, checking in with a mentor, and being persistent in the face of setbacks are all good checkpoints to becoming a leader and teaching the next person in line. Few people become great at anything without consistent effort.
As was stated earlier in this blog, good leaders are always honing their skills. One way to do that is to step back and become a follower every so often. Forbes published an article online on “followership” and the importance for leaders to be followers too—as challenging as it might be. A leader who can follow gains knowledge of other leadership styles, traits, and perspectives. They also see if what they’ve been teaching is working. It’s a great circle of discovery, growth, and measurement!
