All leaders need to get good and consistent verbal feedback from their teammates, but there are 10 pieces of feedback in particular that ratify our more human effectiveness and eventually lead to leadership greatness.

They are rich with meaning as to the kind of leader you are, and are destined to become.  Every time I heard one of these sentences, I knew I was on the right track, and it spurred me on to keep reaching for greatness.

1.   “I don’t know, but I’ll find out” – When they trust that you won’t jump down their throats for not knowing an answer.

2.    “I made a mistake”  – When you know you’ve hired teammates that are harder on themselves than you could ever be on them, and trust that you know that nobody’s perfect.

3.    “Can you help me with something?”  – When they feel comfortable enough to ask you to teach them, and not just tell them.

4.    “I’m frustrated and we need to talk”  – When they’ve concluded that the best way to express these kind of emotions is privately, and not in public.

5.    “I have this fantastic idea, do you have a second” – When you know they haven’t stopped dreaming, and feel that no idea is too wild or stupid.

6.    “I look forward to our next team meeting” – When they really see the value of getting the team together and keeping everyone on the same page.

7.   “Thanks for showing up here today, we normally don’t see executives” – When just being there makes a huge difference.

8.   “We really appreciated you pitching in when we needed an extra hand” – When leading by example builds loyalty and trust.

9.   “I’m really enjoying my work here – I’m proud to work for this company” – When you’ve just about hit the leadership jackpot.

10.   “I’m very happy that you are my boss – thanks for being a great leader”  – When you’ve done everything you know in your heart is right, and by hearing those words, it all comes together, bringing happiness to yourself, and fulfilling the promise of what great personal leadership is all about.

Lead well!

And if you want to know more about how to get to the point where you hear all 10 of these pieces of feedback, check out my “8 Principles of More Human Leadership”.

(photo by Bigstock)