“When you were made a leader, you weren’t given a crown; you were given the responsibility to bring out the best in others.” – Jack Welch
Business is the ultimate sport. If you build the best team, you win. Leaders understand that people want to succeed; they want to drive success and be rewarded with raises and promotions. Leaders get everyone aligned to the mission and working together towards a common goal.
Jack Welch was famous for constantly motivating his teams and instilling confidence. Jack insisted that effective leaders must possess the “generosity gene.” These are leaders who love to give praise, want people to grow, and never take credit for other’s ideas.
Our JWMI alumni share how they motivate teams.
JWMI Alumni Share How to Motivate Teammates and Build Confidence
Challenge Others to Drive Change
Derek Lampert, JWMI Alumnus and Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer at Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, said: “I believe that leadership is a choice, not a rank—the choice to put the success of others first. Great leaders and aspiring leaders change others for the better—they ask them to reach for more and inspire them to go after it. Choosing to lead in any form comes with great responsibility, as the number one job of a leader is to create more leaders.”
Derek’s role recently expanded to include the management of multiple teams, an opportunity he says that would not have been possible without the lessons he learned at JWMI.
Set an Example and Take Risks
Jack wrote: “Winning companies embrace risk-taking and learning.” Leaders encourage team members to experiment without being afraid of making mistakes. And innovation comes from experimentation.
Tien Phan, JWMI student and Small Business Manager at Verizon, said: “Leadership, to me, means never asking anyone to do anything that you are not willing to do it yourself. Always be curious and be humble to learn to better yourself and influence people around you. Set high standards and continue finding ways to push yourself to meet and exceed those standards.”
Tien has been promoted to a team leader at Verizon since beginning the program.
Create a Vision That Others Can Live and Breathe
Good leaders frequently talk about their vision and can influence others to believe in that vision.
Sarang Kishor Deshpande, a JWMI alumnus and Portfolio Delivery Executive at Accenture, said: “Leadership is about having a grasp of people and unabated commitment to the vision and mission.”
Sarang told us that the principles he learned at JWMI helped him navigate the complex structures within his business. He brought about change by communicating a clear vision to take a key company initiative from the trial stage to the implementation stage.
Monique Conner, JWMI alumnus and owner and lead event designer/coordinator at YouEvents, said: “True Leadership means engaging, developing, and empowering employees to become their best selves both on the job site and off.” Leaders must tell people where they stand. Valued employees show up to work every day wanting to win. They are truly invested in the company’s success when they know that the company is genuinely invested in their success.
For more information about JWMI: Visit jwmi.com, call 1-855-596-5964, or email information@jwmi.com.