In life we choose our friends carefully. At work, those around us are selected by others and we’re forced to deal with that. Work teams tend to follow social norms, but not all the time. Because work assignments and promotions are generally based on merit, small-minded people might harbor jealousies and animosities. They might belittle your ambitions, but the really great ones make you feel that you, too, can become great. This is where effective leaders make a difference – they never play favorites and always follow up with those not selected to identify ways they can improve their chances in the future. They diffuse hurt feelings. These leaders often find ways to involve all employees in temporary and pop-up opportunities to learn and show their skills, keep an open dialogue with all employees about their hopes and disappointments, and make everyone feel like they have a voice. They never let disappointment fester, nor do they let employees feel like they never have a chance. When I worked in Asia, I learned that allowing people to save face and have hope are important motivators. And since we all have known disappointment, be aware and knowingly empathetic. Find ways to help everyone feel proud of their actions today.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 – 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist.[1]
[1] He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature".
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