In his book The Seven Things Your Team Needs to Hear You Say David Dye shows us what we say as well as how we say it has massive impact on ourselves and those we lead. David’s list is in close alignment with what I have written about here. Examples of his ideas include how we as leaders can be of service to those we lead (#4 How Can I Help?), treating everything in life as an experiment (#2 Try It), and by celebrating the wins (#7 Nice).
In my own career, I know that people who reported to me have told me repeatedly that they felt that I asked them to do things that they knew in their heart of hearts they could not do. And every time they went ahead and did what it was that I had asked them to do. That is why I really appreciated David’s chapter called “I Believe”. David helps us first to believe in ourselves and our organization, by getting us to align our values with the purpose and reason why the organization exists and why we do the work we do. This makes it all the easier for us to instill this believe to help those we lead believe in themselves.
Each chapter is filled with practical examples from David’s own experience and career. He shows us how to use each of his seven ideas in practical down-to-earth ways that let us apply these principles to our leadership immediately. David recognizes that in order to become a better leader you have to be prepared to change yourself. While this growth is hard, David demonstrates that if you start small, with just one of his ideas, and consistently apply it, you and those people you lead, will see and experience the improvement in your leadership.
While I’ve read, grown, and practiced leadership through many different books and people, there were new insights for me from The Seven Things Your Team Needs to Hear You Say. I was especially taken with how David demonstrated we can indirectly create fear by making demands on our first reports who then in turn can create fear for the people who report to them. I am sure that you will have your own leadership insights by reading David’s book.
If you want to lead better by saying the right things, you need The Seven Things Your Team Needs to Hear You Say.
