Your Impact as a Leader

As a leader, it is your job to set the stage for each day on what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, and why it needs to be done. Not only that, but the leader is also responsible for the type of impact they have on their people.

There are 3 different impacts you can have on people. You can either have a good impact, a bad impact, or no impact at all. Let me explain a bit more:

GOOD IMPACT - A good impact is when those you lead feel appreciated, understood, and are eager to accomplish their daily tasks in the best possible way. When you have a good impact on others, it gives them a sense of purpose and makes them feel like they are part of a team and/or a cause bigger than themselves. Leaving a good impact on those you lead creates a great work environment and leads to more successful outcomes.

BAD IMPACT - A bad impact is when those you lead feel unappreciated, ignored, and become lazy when it comes to their work duties. When you have a bad impact on people, it diminishes any and all passion they had and they in a sense retaliate by not caring about what they are doing like they should and ultimately create more mistakes and/or errors because of it. Leaving a bad impact on those you lead creates a miserable work environment and greatly decreases the work flow.

NO IMPACT - No impact is when those you lead feel like you do not even exist and in turn feel like they are not even seen, so they go to work, do the bare minimum and bring absolutely nothing to the table. When you have no impact whatsoever on people, it leaves room for them to create their own opinions of you and can either hurt your organization through word of mouth and/or through apathetic employees not living up to their full potential. Having no impact on those you lead creates a disconnect within the organization, which leaves everyone feeling dissatisfied and hinders the organization from growing.

Of course leaving a good impact is what we all want for those we come in contact with, but if you are not mindful of how you carry yourself, how you talk to others, and how you are as a leader, then you can easily leave a bad impact or no impact at all if you are not careful.

Some ways you can be sure to leave a good impact are: 

• Compliment and/or praise someone when they have excelled on a project and/or accomplished something big.
• Spend time talking to people, which will help them develop a sense of trust in you as a person.
• Be clear on what you are wanting out of your people and understand when things happen out of one's control that may hinder that process (if that ever happens).
• Help people when they need it and/or ask for it.
• Show your appreciation for others by sending a thank you email, card, or text (depending on your relationship with that person).
• Give your sincere condolences when someone is going through something in their life.
• Follow through on your promises.
• Provide some sort of group reward to show your appreciation like buying everyone lunch, getting everyone merchandise that represents the company, and/or bringing in cookies, donuts, or ice cream for everyone to share. 

People just want to know they are cared for and appreciated; it really does go a long way. So take a look at yourself as a leader and reflect on what you need to do going forward. If you want to leave a good impact on others, just #BeSignificant in all you do and it will certainly show. I guarantee it.

Now go out there and be sure to leave a good impact!

- Dean