There are two categories of people, those who separate people into two categories and those who don’t.
There are two types of leaders, skunks and bees.
Skunks:
Work stinks when skunks show up. They complain, focus on problems, and push people down.
Everyone cheers when skunks leave the room.
Bees:
People bear fruit when bees show up. Bees seek opportunities, build connections, and fuel growth.
Everyone flourishes when bees do their job.
7 ways to help people flourish:
- Let others shine. A person who never shines is underutilized. When someone can’t shine, they’re on the wrong team.
- Focus on analyzing success more than digging into problems. Ask, “What’s working?” Search for high energy spots in your organization. What’s happening there?
- Serve others so they can serve others. Exponential success goes beyond you.
- Figure out what people love doing and enable them to do more of that. Ask, “What would you love to do more of?”
- Talk more about where you’re going than where you’ve been.
- Be a learner, not a knower. Learning makes you beautiful when it’s put into practice.
- Ask “dumb” questions. Reject the need to know more than others. Say, “I don’t know,” when you don’t.
Challenge: You’re probably a skunk when you wonder if the room stinks when you leave. It’s time to up your game.
Project: Make a list of 3 things you could do today to help people flourish.
What’s on your list?