Leadership Growth Hack Elevates Team Performance | Buffini Blog
Acclaimed leadership expert and clinical psychologist, Dr. Henry Cloud, shares a reliable growth hack when working with CEOs, teams, and executives to help improve performance, enhance leadership skills and elevate company culture.
Be Open to Feedback
Leaders tend to build businesses in their own image, according to Dr. Henry Cloud. But as their business grows, it may end up stalling if they are not open to outside input.
“In the law of entropy… things get more chaotic, energy runs down and worse, over time,” he said. “You have to open up the system to new energy and intelligence to organize that energy and get things better.”
Oftentimes leaders reject feedback and become defensive because they don’t want to be seen as someone who is weak or doesn’t have all the answers, Cloud said.
The leader doesn’t need to agree with all feedback they receive, but it’s important to be flexible and open to hearing it. That shows a willingness to grow.
Working with an experienced real estate coach or mentor and attending industry conferences can also be beneficial in fostering insights and creating positive changes.
Reducing Burnout
Burnout is a problem many leaders face, especially in a constantly shifting industry such as real estate.
“You’ve got to ask yourself, ‘Is it the way my business is set up? Is it disconnecting me from fuel sources to my soul, emotionally through relationships?” he advised.
It’s also important for leaders to be emotionally connected to their teams so they, in turn, don’t get burnout.
“Does everybody have a good sense of autonomy and freedom to have agency and put their hands to the steering wheel and control something that drives the needle?” he questioned. “Because if they don’t, why are they coming to work? Every person in the organization needs to feel like ‘I am free and empowered to do something. And when I do it, it matters.’”
Valuing Contributions from Your Team
Holding your team back from ownership not only leads them to burnout, Cloud said, but also to boredom and resentment.
“Everybody’s brain [should be] valued for its different contribution,” he said. “So, we’ve got to find out — ‘are we harnessing people’s best strengths or best minds? And do they have permission to speak at the table and contribute? And are we using them?’”
Leaders must also let go of the feeling that they must be “the smartest person in the room,” he said.
“You shouldn’t feel bad for not being the smartest person about a particular thing. That’s the only way things get better.”
The Curious CEO
In a recent episode of “The Curious CEO,” hosted by Buffini & Company CEO Dermot Buffini, Cloud shared insights from his 25-year career as a leadership expert, clinical psychologist, and bestselling author.
Watch The Curious CEO with Dr. Henry Cloud.
