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We all start out believing in a me-centric universe.  “Its’ all about me – my hunger, my pain, my need for comfort.”

But here’s the thing: If you’re the leader and it’s still all about you, then you have to be the smartest boy or girl in class all the time.  It has to be all about your great ideas and all about your energy and all about your availability.  That’s an enormous demand on you and a huge bummer for those who look to you for leadership.  Here’s why.

In doing research for a keynote address to an association I interviewed a number of company owners who were members of the association.  They allowed me to interview some of their key employees, who had plenty to say.

One of the employee interviewees captured best what they all said: “I want my boss to ask me what I think.”  That’s right.  The bosses didn’t ask and their employees felt frustrated and blown off.  What about your people?

They’re smart and they have good ideas that you couldn’t think of in a hundred years.  They want you to be sufficiently interested in them to ask them what they think.  They want to feel your respect for them that is inherent in your asking.

So, make it about them.  Ask them what they think.  And really listen.  When you make it about them they will pay you back in ways beyond measure.

And you?  You’ll wind up getting more of what you want and less of what you don’t want.  And that’s way better and way easier than leaving that load on your shoulders.

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