From the Ordinary to the Extraordinary!
January 30, 2019
"Great leaders communicate, and great communicators lead." – Simon Sinek
Any working professional in a leadership position would relate to the exponential value of effective communication, coaching, mentorship, time management, talent acquisition and development. All leaders and managers have one aspect in common, that is; their desire to constantly understand and support their team for their development that runs parallel with the growth of the organization.
This is where Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) comes in, to give professional leaders an edge in their management skills. It is the art and science of personal excellence that translates into our professional lives; transforms our innate potential into performance. ‘Neuro’ is about how we use our mind; ‘Linguistic’ is about understanding the language of the mind; and ‘Programming’ is about our thoughts and behavioural patterns, for these reasons it is also described as ‘practical behavioural psychology’.
When we understand how thoughts form into patterns along with the linguistics of the patterns, we can use this understanding to sharpen our personal and professional life. It will help us process the information, communicate better & clearly, and influence others – all of this is the essence of being successful in business leadership & management.
Our thoughts are like an intertwined ball of thread, and NLP helps us open up all knots to give us one smooth line of thread. In other words, we are able to understand how each thought pattern is formed, and the language of these thoughts. This clear introspection helps us with better responses in every situation and tailors our communication mindfully and appropriately to achieve the desired outcome.
The clarity in communication positively impacts engagement, trust, and teamwork among employees. But how is clarity attained in communication? NLP helps us listen deeply (hearing and listening are miles apart), and use powerful language in a structure that appeals to our audiences.
We also understand the subtleties of non-verbal influence, that is, body language that occurs with and within teams. Hence, we can observe and analyse the thinking and emotional make-up of teams as a whole as well as the individuals of the team with accuracy and speed. This helps us gain new insights to resolve conflicts and form new ideas or perspectives.
These thought processes of others along with self-introspection in terms of our emotions and values translate into our actions. For instance, we are able to then motivate and inspire each colleague and employee while positively influencing them to contribute towards the organizational goals and vision. This shift is powered when NLP helps us acquire the attitudes and beliefs at the sub-conscious level resulting in great leadership attributes.
Leaders are influencers. But great leaders are ‘positive influencers’, who not only motivate but also inspire people to work in a constructive and productive manner. NLP helps the power of positive influence within a leader that will differentiate them from the ordinary & make them extraordinary.