Setting the Tone

One of my favorite leadership sayings it “The leader sets the tone.”  How does a leader set the tone and environment for his/her employees to be motivated to succeed?  I’d like to share with you a story as well as the lessons I learned from this situation.

During a lot of my career at Chevron, I worked in an open office environment.  During a particular phase of my employment, my cubicle was located very close to a person not on my team.  To protect their identity, I’ll refer to this person as Becky. 

I enjoyed interacting with Becky over a period of 1-2 years.  She was always cheerful.  When she was at work, she was very industrious.  I didn’t see her wasting time with idle chitchat or gossip with other coworkers.

In spite of this, Becky didn’t appear to be having fun at work in her role (or on her team).  Instead of exhibiting a “9 to 5 mentality” (also known as “checking your brain at the door”), I would say she exhibited more of a “8:15 to 4:45” mentality.  Work appeared to be a necessary evil to her – she wasn’t having fun.

While I could tell she was industrious, I could also tell that there was more to Becky than met the eye.  My conversations with her indicated a high intelligence, along with good opinions.  She didn’t feel free to share her opinions, because she didn’t believe her opinion was valued by leaders in her team.

Because of her intelligence, skills, and personality, I wanted Becky on my team.  When a position on my team opened up, I actively recruited her to apply.  She nailed the interview (as I expected), and impressed the selection team.

Once Becky was offered and accepted the position on my team (a lateral move for her), I started applying my personal leadership model (see https://mrhensonllc.com/my-personal-leadership-model/ ).  I spent quite a bit of time getting to know Becky.  I sought her feedback on what types of assignments she enjoyed, and her preferred recognition style.  I also asked for feedback on what I could do as a leader to help make her job more enjoyable.  I also started to understand her sense of humor, and what she enjoyed.  I applied all this information to provide meaningful assignments, appropriate recognition, and the right level of fun on the job.

This information helped me to set Becky up for success and let her excel.  Over time, I witnessed a transformation in her.  She had a “spring in her step” and smiled more at the office.  Her work output consistently exceeded expectations.  She was also willing to do whatever it took to get the job done.  She stepped up in key leadership roles and experiences.  Becky gave me feedback on my leadership that was actionable.  She initially gave this feedback when I asked for it, and grew to proactively share feedback she thought would help me develop.  I appreciated all of her feedback – it truly helped me improve.  The change in her behavior and output was recognized by many leaders in the group.

I learned three key lessons from this experience:

1. My personal leadership model works!  Becky’s example was one of many applications of this model.  The results were the same: the team achieved success, Becky realized her potential, and I grew my leadership strengths and dealt with my weaknesses.
2. Motivation is unique to the individual.  What motivated Becky was different that what motivates me, and was different than others on the team.
3. The leader’s challenge is to find what motivates the individual.  The leader should not deliver “canned motivation” that is the same to everyone.

Becky has since gone on to achieve great things.  She’s confident, happy, and self-assured.  She’s now viewed as a high-performing individual.  She will continue to add value in whatever role she’s in.

I’d love to hear your comments.  Do you have a personal leadership model?  Have you experienced a leader who drew out your unique strengths, values, and goals through motivation that was tailored to you?  How did that work?