“Unlocking Potential: Why Great Leaders Believe in Their Employees”

“I believe in my crew so they can believe in themselves.” Captain Sandy, Below Deck Mediterranean. 

Have you ever been in a work situation where a manager or leader did not believe in you and your ability to do the job? If you have, you know it’s a soul-sucking experience.

I learned the importance of believing in people in high school. I remember it clearly; it was junior year, and people were starting to think about the college they wanted to attend. During one of the classes, a teacher asked, “Who is planning on going to college?” All the hands went up. The teacher then said, “I’d like to know which colleges you are planning on applying to.” 

Then, the teacher proceeded to go aisle by aisle, asking each person where they planned on applying. When they came to me, they skipped right over me and went to the person sitting at the desk behind me. I raised my hand and said, “you missed me”. Their response was, “I didn’t think you would be going to college”. Those words were like a stab to my heart. My grades were good, but for some reason they didn’t think I was good enough to be accepted into a college. And that interaction embedded the thought and feeling that if an educator felt that way, then maybe I wasn’t good enough. And those thoughts and feelings stayed with me for years.

Many years later, after getting in and going to college, I decided to apply to a Master’s program.

During orientation, I looked around the room and said to myself, "Everyone is smarter than me, and I really don’t belong here." The nagging feeling of having someone not believe in my abilities continued to haunt me. However, despite those nagging thoughts, I was accepted into the Master’s program.

What helped me turn the corner of self-doubt were the professors who believed in me and encouraged me to believe I could succeed. As I progressed through the Master’s program, with encouragement from them, I slowly started to believe in myself. The good news is that I completed the program and was able to walk across the stage and receive my master’s degree.

I’m sharing this very personal story with you to demonstrate the importance of showing your staff that you believe they have what it takes to succeed. I know having faith in someone’s abilities is one of the most impactful ways of getting not just the best but the absolute best from them.

People are called leaders because they are responsible not just for getting things done but also for facilitating and encouraging their staff to grow and develop in their positions.

What can managers and leaders do to demonstrate their belief in their employees?

1.        Provide Autonomy - Delegate and don’t Micromanage

2.        Offer Constructive Feedback – Regular and Actionable

3.        Invest in Their Professional Development – Continuous Learning and Career Growth Opportunities

4.        Listen and Value Input: Seek Opinions and Implement Their Ideas

5.        Show Genuine Care – Build Personal Connections and Support Work-life Balance

6.        Provide Clear Direction and Resources – Set clear expectations and equip them for Success

7.        Encourage Risk Taking – Create a safe environment for Innovation

I shared my story to encourage you to ask yourself, “Am I like Captain Sandy, who believes in her crew, or that teacher who makes someone believe they don’t really have the “right stuff” to achieve success?” Then, take an honest inventory of which belief structure is working better for you and your organization.

To implement ways to demonstrate you believe in your employees, contact me, Janice Brathwaite, at Workplace Transformations (email: jcbrathwate@comcast.net or telephone: (978) 594-1811)

#believe #encouragement #responsibility