Who has had a significant impact on your life? A teacher or coach? A religious leader, a friend, or a
family member? Whoever it was, I’m going to bet that you knew – or at least felt you knew – that they
liked you.
Today’s principle is obvious, and routinely ignored:
You can’t lead people you don’t like
If you really dislike a member of your team, they’re going to feel it and they’re not going to perform at
their peak while under your… supervision let’s call it. While you might oversee them, you’ll never lead
them. They won’t get better during their time with you, and they won’t achieve what they could
achieve if they felt that you liked them. And they’ll never think back fondly about their time with you
and reflect on how much they owe you for the contribution you made to their lives.
Quite simply, we believe in, and perform for, people who we feel like us, and are for us.
How do you feel about your team? Do you like them? If you don’t, either change the team or change
your attitude because you aren’t going to get far with them if you don’t.
How to fix it:
Simply say one day, “I really like you, and I’m glad you’re on the team.”
Act your way into the feeling. Unless of course those people shouldn’t be on the team at all, and are
roundly disliked for just reasons. That’s another conversation!
Getting ahead is about getting started!
