“I believe in servant leadership, and the servant always asks, Where am I needed most?’”~ Mike Pence

Faith is as much a key to business success as capitalization. We have faith in our vendors to supply goods on time. We have faith in our abilities and our vision. We have faith God is showing us the correct path for our lives. But do the team members we shepherd understand that we have faith in them as well? Perhaps you just bristled at my question and thought, “Of course, my team knows I trust them. They wouldn’t be on my team if I didn’t!”

Your associates transfer their own hopes and fears onto what you may perceive as the most insignificant of actions or words. As harsh as it sounds, there are members of your team who do not have the drive to rise to the next level on their own, as a result of their personal insecurities. Associates who fall into this category are extremely susceptible to what you may consider an insignificant slight. You may correct a team member’s minor mistake in front of another team member. To you, the correction was a reflexive response to keep a small gaffe from growing into a larger problem. For the insecure team member, this sends the message that you have no faith in their abilities.

If you try to follow the principles of servant leadership, yet see this situation as babysitting or handholding, perhaps a self-examination is in order. Your job is to empower, enable, and lift those in your care. Some members of your team need extra attention in areas that are not defined on quarterly evaluations. Open your eyes to the personal issues your team members have and adjust your actions accordingly. This may just be where you are needed most today.

Consider this …

1. Reflect on your recent or routine interactions with your associates. Are there any situations that come to mind where you may have left the wrong impression about your faith and trust in them?

2. T inking more about those interactions, identify one or two associates whom you know to experience the insecurities described above.

3. Put a plan in place to not only demonstrate that you believe in them, but also to help them overcome these insecurities. Start taking consistent action now. 

For more, check out The Top Performer’s Field Guide, The Innovator’s Field Guide, or visit www.JeffStandridge.com.

(Originally published in The Innovator’s Field Guide.)