Page 147 - Roy W. Rice - CEO Material How to Be a Leader in Any Organization-McGraw-Hill (2009)

128 • CEO Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization

himself or herself; you cannot make people do better by making them
feel worse about themselves.
You give acceptance and maintain self-esteem when you

■ Celebrate, appreciate, recognize, and praise at every opportunity—
the more public, the better.
■ Return calls within 24 hours, even if it’s just a message on voice
mail.
■ Keep your word.
■ Refuse to talk behind people’s backs.
■ Halt the spread of gossip.
■ Write a complimentary note to the parent or spouse of a
subordinate who’s doing good work.
■ Send flowers to the spouse of an employee when his work takes
him away from an important event.
■ Meet with departing employees, regardless of level, to thank
them for their work while with the company and wish them well
elsewhere.
■ Sit down with each new hire, regardless of level, to welcome
him or her to the team.

Let People Make Mistakes

You’ll accomplish a whole lot more with people if you see less of
their faults.

Be an amused spectator toward their irritating habits.

Maintaining peers’, colleagues’, subordinates’, competitors’, and
bosses’ self-esteem is more important than your own precious image,
plans, rules, or success or you being right, on time, and efficient.
People will soon forget what you’ve accomplished in life but long
remember how you made them feel about themselves. (A much different
philosophy than that of chess champion Bobby Fischer, who said, “I like
the moment when I break a man’s ego.”)