Holly Heaviland EdD

11 things great leaders say every day: 1. 'Is there anyway I can help unblock you?' - A leaders primary job is to elevate and make others' more productive - Asking this question signals your willingness to help your colleagues and show them that you're on the same team 2. 'I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.' (h/t Adam Grant) - Ending feedback with this sentence tells employees that you genuinely want the best for them and care deeply about their personal development. 3. 'I think I heard you say... Is that right? Is there more?' - Sometimes a leaders job is to shut up and listen; to make people feel heard 4. 'If you were my coach, what advice would you give me to operate better as a leader?' (h/t Adam Grant) - Let's be real: giving 'feedback' can be awkward. The way to get around this is by asking for 'advice' which makes the advice giver feel helpful 5. 'I know it's your first time doing this and I don't mind if you fail. I have great confidence you can do it.' - Expanding someone's sphere of comfort is one of the greatest gifts a leader can provide 6. 'If you had another day/week to work on this, what else would you do to improve it?... Great, do that.' - A simple way to understand if a project has been completed to the highest quality is to ask: "Is there anything more that could be done if there was more time?" 7. 'How are you feeling on a scale of 1-5? What would get it to the next level?' (h/t Matt Mochary) - Asking "How are you feeling?" is too vague. It allows employees to respond with a superficial answer that doesn't help you help them. - Specific asks are rewarded because they give you concrete information 8. 'I don't know. What do you think?' - J.W. Marriott, founder of Marriot hotels believed these were the most important words in business - The sign of a strong leader is one who knows they don't have all the answers 9. 'What questions do you have for me?' - Asking, "Do you have any questions?" invites a yes or no answer - Asking "What questions do you have?" prompts an expectation of questions which helps remove miscommunication 10. 'No — and here's why' - Leaders have the most context in an organisation: this means you'll know why something will or won't work - It's helpful to 'step' your employees through your thinking so that they understanding you're making decisions based on data, not just on gut feel 11. 'Is this your very best effort?' - The best leaders get the best out of every employee - When leaders ask this question consistently, it becomes an expectation, and the quality of work and effort remain high What would you add?