Hi Ya’ll. Jennifer Ledet here with another Leadership Lagniappe tip.
There’s cause for celebration here in my neck of the woods, as the Little League team from Louisiana not only won the national title, but came home as the Little League World Series Champions. Both of our boys played baseball from a very young age all the way through high school and my husband coached them for most of that time, so this was extra emotional for us to watch.
Now I’m no sports aficionado and I don’t even play one on TV, but I do like watching sports. Anytime I watch a game, sports of any kind, I’m taking it all in. I’m observing the coaches, the players, the officials, and the fans.
At one point during the national championship game, when the Louisiana pitcher walked a batter, the pitcher began to kind of slump and almost hang his head a bit. With the next batter an error was made on the field behind him. The coach immediately walked out to the mound to have a little talk with the pitcher. Thanks to the fact that they’re mic’d up, we were able to listen in on his pep talk.
What he said struck me as so profound. He said
“Body language! You’re supposed to be a leader on this team. When you get down you send a message to your team mates and that’s why they made an error! Now shake that off and pay attention to your body language.”
This is a point to remember in Little League baseball as well as in leadership.
Have you ever had moments like that pitcher? I’ll bet you have. I know I have.
But as a leader, you are being watched! People are taking in, not only WHAT you say, but HOW you say it. What kind of message are you sending to YOUR teammates? To your customers and clients? What does your body language convey? Are you projecting confidence, trustworthiness, competence, approachability? Or are you telegraphing uncertainty, insecurity, doubt, or fear?
And be careful because if your words and your actions aren’t congruent, people will believe and follow your actions before they’ll pay attention to what you say.
Body language! Be intentional with your
- Posture
- Eye contact
- Handshake
- Facial expressions
- Gestures
- Smile
You can preach, teach, and cajole your team members to work safely, but if your actions don’t back up your words, if you yourself don’t practice safe work habits, forget it! People will follow, “listen” to, and remember what you do much more than they will your words. You have got to walk your talk.
Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Or put another way,
“What you’re doing speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
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Jennifer Ledet, CSP, is a leadership consultant and professional speaker (with a hint of Cajun flavor) who equips leaders from the boardroom to the mailroom to improve employee engagement, teamwork, and communication. In her customized programs, leadership retreats, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions, she cuts through the BS and talks through the tough stuff to solve your people problems.
