I was wondering… are you free on Thursday, April 28th? Because I want to talk to you about a great investment opportunity….

Wait! Don’t go!

Before you stop reading, know I am not asking for your money. Just a little of your time.

One of the first things any organizational leader or business owner learns is that you must be intentional with your resources. And your time is one of the most precious resources you can invest. It is limited and irrecoverable, so you must spend it where it will pay off the most.

And I can promise you that the time we spend together on Thursday, April 28th, will pay you permanent dividends.

I want to talk to you about the greatest way to invest your resources as a leader: your team.

The employees are the first customers of any organization. In fact, billionaire businessman Richard Branson says that “Customers come second, employees first.” How you take care of your team is how they take care of your clients.

Their direct relationship with your end user gives them special insight, too. Your employees see, hear, and learn things that leaders are never given the chance to.

From every angle, connecting with and engaging your team is positively crucial – for your leadership, for their growth, for your organization’s health, and for your ultimate impact goals.

So you could say that learning this skill is quite a wise use of your time!

If you’re wondering what to expect, here is a quick preview of what I will be covering…

Not long ago I spoke with Jonas Karles, co-founder of Minna Technologies, on my show, Leadership for the Now. Minna helps businesses easily offer a subscription service to their clients. Their impact is in the multiple millions.

With a reach like that, needless to say, their team has got their stuff together!

As we talked, Jonas explained the strategy behind Minna’s peak-performing team. According to him, performance is the end product of an intentional process… the result of what he calls the 5 Ps of leadership.

Before performance can really thrive, it must be supported by the other 4 “P” pillars. These are…

1.Presence.

Your team must know that you care. They can only lean in as much as you do.

When you are with your team, be with your team. Let phone calls go to voicemail; let notifications go unchecked. Giving them your full attention and focus communicates that you are wholly present and invested. That is the first step toward inviting them to engage.

Keep the perspective. If you were seated in front of your childhood hero or your lifetime role model, how would you treat them? That’s how you should treat your team :)

2. Picture.

Jonas explained that new Minna team members would share with others their own “user manual” that explained how they communicate and how they are best communicated with. This allowed everyone to get a clear picture of who their new team member was.

What foresight!

Just consider how valued you would feel if your leader tried to understand your communication style and adapt to it… if they knew your tendencies and made room for them. You would feel like they knew you were a human being, and not a robot who satisfies a job description!

(And as you consider this, remember that how you treat your employee is how your employee treats your client… and just how much of a difference this would make to them.)

3. Protection.

It was Warren Buffett who said,

“Trust is like the air we breathe – when it’s present, nobody really notices; when it’s absent, everybody notices.”

Your team may not think to themselves, “I do not trust my leader,” and they certainly will not tell you, but you will know. They remain silent and they play it safe – which is the opposite of what your organization needs.

There is no point in hiring great minds and then putting them in a box!

Create safety for your teams by criticizing privately, praising publicly, avoiding blame, and including your team in your decisions (when you can).

4. Playfulness.

Team-building and bonding has long been recognized as a key element in results. But the first 3 pillars must be in place for your team to really experience the full benefit. If the team does not feel valued, have the solid relationship, and know they are safe, they cannot fully engage.

But if that foundation is there, they have the freedom to let down their walls for a moment. And this is where a truly strong team is born.

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When all of these pillars are in place, the natural consequence is performance – the kind of rapport, relationships, and results that help organizations like Minna serve millions.

How about your team? Do they reap the rewards of all 5 pillars? Is anything out of place? In which ways can bring forward your team’s best?

The pursuit of growth – for you and for your team – is the best investment that any leader can make.

Make it with me on Thursday, April 28th, at 10 AM ET, and learn the 5 ways you can engage and motivate every member of your team.

If you’re free, that is :)

See you then,

Florin