Flowers are a beautiful creation. Their colours inspire, their beauty brightens a room and their fragrance can give you a sense of peace. I remember staying at a lodge in Naivasha and they had planted the Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow plants along the pathway. When walking to and from your room, the air would be filled with the fragrance of these flowers. It was beautiful especially in the evenings.
In his book The Greatness Guide, Robin Sharma says ‘human beings move, when their emotions are moved’.
As a trainer, I am always looking at how to turn different life experiences into simple lessons. What lesson can I take from the beautiful fragrance of flowers? It is this:
Leaders have the power to evoke different emotions in their teams. A leader can evoke feelings of motivation, excitement, determination and success! However, a leader can also evoke a sense of disillusionment, demotivation, anger and frustration. Does your team walk away from you feeling stronger and focused, with a better sense of understanding or do they walk away from you feeling down trodden and insufficient? If it is the latter, you may need to take a closer look at the output from the team or department and start making some changes in how you are interacting with them. This could be the difference that matters, because when a team feels valued, encouraged and appreciated, they will naturally produce for you.
So, what is the fragrance lingering on your teams after an interaction with you?
