What do I mean by “gracious leadership”?
Great leaders remember the good things their employees do. They try to forget the things that are not in their employee’s character or are not typical for them. They are gracious and willing to forgive mistakes and give people another chance.
We’re not talking about complacency. This isn’t about letting people get away with poor performance. We’re talking about having a posture that looks for the best in people. Everyone makes mistakes. Your employees need to know that if they do make a mistake, they won’t be attacked for it and it won’t be held over their heads.
Are you always critical of people and their actions? Do you tend to remember the negative things? Or do you try to remember the value they have added to your organization?
I want to encourage you to develop gracious leadership. “Catch” people doing good things. Remember the times they went above and beyond. Don’t fixate on the things they could have done better.