Excellent leadership looks different than it did in the past. Amid the pandemic, modern leaders have needed to rethink their strategies to help their teams adapt and adjust. Still, many leaders focus on antiquated standards that are often based on command-and-control principles.

For example, leaders who focus on driving results while still motivating their employees might find it difficult to lead well, says Susan Fowler, a senior consulting partner for The Ken Blanchard Companies.

Many traditional methods of motivation have proved ineffective or even harmful, according to Fowler. That’s why it may be time to reset your leadership. By considering modern motivation science, you can let go of an outdated leadership style and help your team rise up to meet today’s challenges.

In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share Fowler’s three ways to reset your leadership to align with the needs of employees today.

Embrace autonomy. Try to give your sales reps as many choices as possible. Autonomy-supportive leadership helps people perceive that they have choices, a sense of control and are the source of their actions, says Fowler. You can do this by changing your language to show your team members that they have options.

You can also illuminate boundaries and explore options within those boundaries. Another idea to encourage choice is to collaboratively set goals with your team members. The goal is to help your sales reps feel a sense of autonomy—never that they are being controlled.

Deepen connections. Although your sales reps may all be working from home, you can still help them feel important and valuable. Your leadership can make all the difference in helping your employees understand how their work and actions contribute to the whole team’s welfare, says Fowler.

To foster deeper connection with your sales reps, don’t just focus on their numbers. Stay aware of their personal concerns by actively listening, providing transparency when setting goals and being open about the direction of your team and company. To reset your leadership, it’s important to let go of the mindset “it’s not personal, it’s just business” and embrace the idea that “if it’s business, it’s personal,” notes Fowler.

Help your employees grow. The best leaders not only help their employees do their jobs well, but they also give them the tools and resources to keep learning. You can reset your leadership by striving to build competence in your sales reps. This means instead of brushing off training, you emphasize learning goals in addition to performance goals. It also means asking your team members what they learned instead of just what they accomplished. Fowler points out that building people’s competence is one of the most powerful ways you can lift people saddled with high levels of uncertainty and inexperience.

As a leader, you want your sales team to flourish and thrive. Instead of simply pushing for better results, try resetting your own leadership approach. When you expand people’s sense of choice, connection and competence, you became a more effective and respected leader.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Susan Fowler is a senior consulting partner for The Ken Blanchard Companies. She is the author of the best-selling book Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work … and What Does.