Last week I spent a day with a delightful group of professionals in Melbourne. They were attending my Rewire Your Brain program. They were well versed in the topic – so I was concerned about whether they would get value from the day.
They did. For some it took them deeper. For some there was consolidation and also new stuff. For some, they had dabbled, but this was the first time they had immersed themselves and for some, it was totally new. And we had some wonderful discussions about the application of the content that made the time spent even more useful – for all of us!
I recently received this feedback from an experienced coach regarding my online ‘My Brain Academy‘ program – “I have been interested in this neuro- stuff for a while, but your program took me back to kindergarten and right through to university!”
(Stay with me, there is a point to all this self-adoration!)
For me, this reinforces what Matt Church (from Thought Leaders) talks about in terms of ‘packaging’. Information about the neuroscience of leadership is available from books, other courses, the internet, articles….but the way that I – as an expert in the field and a unique individual – consolidate, sift and package that information so that it connects and is relevant to my audience, is the key to my role of leadership in my chosen industry. People who like and get value from the way that ‘I’ package it, come to ‘my’ events and follow ‘my’ blogs and postings.
To do that then, I need to give deep consideration to the needs of my audience. What do they need? what is their pain? what will spark their interest and get them engaged with what I know is information and tools that can literally change their lives for the better?
My tribe happens to connect with me, with my approach, with my perspective and my values and method of application of the knowledge – and we all learn and grow together forming wonderful friendships and relationships along the way.
(…and finally, to the point of this post!)
As a leader of a business, a team, an organisation or a family, the goal is no different. To engage your tribe, you need to look at how you are packaging your offering – and that offering is both yourself and your leadership.
You need to take time to consider what they need, what their pain points are, what will spark their interest and get them engaged so that they will access the wisdom, knowledge, support and guidance that you as their leader know will literally change, improve or support their professional or personal situations. You must take time to get to know them, to listen for them not you, to tailor, to be flexible in your approach and to make no assumptions about what they want or need.
My mantra is ‘facilitating awesome’. I believe that the role of a leader is to find and facilitate the awesome in others.
How are you packaging yourself and your leadership? Have you taken the time to self-observe, to request feedback, to look for the non-verbal signals that will direct you to where your energy needs to be directed?
Maybe it’s time!
