3 Simple Gestures: Leading on the inside

I’m a big believer that the little things count, particularly when it comes to leadership. Coming out of the NP 2020 conference, it’s tempting to continue thinking about visionary, systemic strategies for leadership, but that can’t be at the cost of dismissing smaller gestures that contribute to good teams and work cultures.

It’s amazing how much time we spend talking about the big, external strategies when we could just as easily lead right now, within our own organizations, through simple gestures… hence the following:

3 Simple Gestures: Leading on the inside

1. Attend staff meetings.
   Physical presence is underrated in a world where so much gets done by e-mail. This makes staff meetings more critical than ever. Set your staff meetings as a recurring commitment on your calendar and make it a point to show up on time, every time. When it’s impossible to attend on a certain day, follow up with a colleague and ask them what happened. Ask someone who might not usually talk to–it’s an easy conversation starter and a way to show you’re invested in the team.
2. Ring a bell.
   When something great happens (again, big or small), it’s good to make some noise. One organization I worked for rang a bell each time we raised some money. Where I work now, there is a bell in the design team area (a central location in our office), and every time there’s something to celebrate–from completed projects to baby announcements–you’ll hear ringing. This is a gesture that crosses both internal and external lines… our clients are always surprised to hear ringing and cheering, which provides a great opportunity to tell them more about our culture.
3. Post your work.
   “Working in a vacuum” is probably one of my least favorite work-related phrases and habits. People talk about it with frustration and then seem to just go back to their cubicle to work in silos once more. One approach that has worked really well for me is making work more tangible by posting it on a wall. When I was part of a transitioning marketing team, I posted a snapshot of our current projects, a draft of the annual report, and a broad timeline of what was coming soon. People began to stop by to talk about the work. I was able to learn more about them and how they shared our message–and I could therefore be more proactive in identifying communications projects. The number of our “emergency projects” decreased, and rather than fighting politics to be at the table for certain meetings, other staff members began to request that the marketing team join in strategic conversations.

I’d love to hear more simple gestures from others, even those you’ve tried that did not work as you intended…