Leadership advice from a kindergartener
Thanks to quarantine, this week's Two-Minute Tip is brought to you by my five-year-old as she shares some thoughts on effective leadership, based on her classroom experience with the incredible Mrs. Gormley.
With a focus on how to effectively teach employees new skills, here are a four key takeaways from the interview:
Be patient. We tend to underestimate how long it takes to learn a new skill when sitting in the teacher's seat. Tip: think back to how long it took you to learn the same skill to level-set expectations.
Tailor your teaching to the individual's learning style. Do they learn best by watching first? Trying it with oversight? Diving in autonomously and learning from mistakes? Reading step-by-step instructions? Etc.
Note: Research suggests that regardless of one's primary learning style, most individuals learn best through a blend of approaches (i.e., visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.).
Remember that the learning sticks over time, not the first time.
Most importantly, make it fun. Sadly, the love for and joy in learning can fade with age if we're not careful. Our five-year-old guest specifically recommends incorporating songs to make it engaging :). I will add that this is not only fun, but also effective—after all, who doesn't sing the ABCs to recall what letter comes next?!
Though often neglected, developing your employees and elevating their capabilities to the next level is a foundational leadership responsbility. Leaders, don't simply benefit from what employees can deliver today; instead, inspire and influence what they will do and who they will be in the future.