Effective leadership isn’t just about strategic acumen or brilliant communication skills; it’s deeply rooted in understanding human behaviour. For those at the helm, unravelling the intricacies of the human psyche can give you significant advantages. In this article, we will explore the psychological tips every leader should know, offering you actionable insights and shedding light on some lesser-known nuggets of wisdom.
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Harness the Power of Emotional Intelligence (EI)
- Actionable Tip: Engage in regular reflection. Recognise and label your emotions. Seek feedback from peers and subordinates on how you handle emotional situations.
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Understand the Pygmalion Effect
People often perform in accordance with what is expected of them. High expectations lead to higher performance.
- Actionable Tip: Set high, but achievable, expectations for your team. Regularly express your confidence in their abilities.
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Encourage Psychological Safety
For a team to thrive, its members need to feel safe to take risks, voice opinions, and admit mistakes without fear of punishment.
- Actionable Tip: Foster a culture of openness. Reframe mistakes as learning opportunities.
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Master the Art of Active Listening
True listening goes beyond hearing words—it involves understanding and interpretation.
- Actionable Tip: During meetings, rephrase what you’ve heard to confirm your understanding. This not only ensures clarity but also makes the speaker feel valued.
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The Primacy and Recency Effect
People most often remember the first and last things presented to them. Use this to your advantage in presentations and meetings.
- Actionable Tip: Start and end meetings or presentations with your most crucial points. This reinforces their significance.
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Unearth Unconscious Bias
Unconscious biases can cloud judgment, leading to unfair decisions.
- Actionable Tip: Regularly take part in training or workshops focused on recognising and countering these biases.
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Recognise the Halo Effect
This cognitive bias leads people to believe that if someone is good in one area, they’ll excel in others too.
- Actionable Tip: Assess team members based on specific competencies, not just general impressions.
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Leverage the Benjamin Franklin Effect
When someone does a favour for you, they are more likely to feel positively towards you, oddly enough.
- Actionable Tip: Occasionally ask team members for small favours, fostering goodwill and camaraderie.
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Dive Deep with the Johari Window
Explore known and unknown facets of yourself and your team. Image credit: Spaynton
- Actionable Tip: Engage in team-building exercises focusing on the Johari Window model to enhance self-awareness and mutual understanding.
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Utilise the Zeigarnik Effect
Unfinished tasks tend to dominate our thoughts. Use this to boost productivity.
- Actionable Tip: Break projects into small tasks. The desire to ‘close the loop’ will drive you and your team to complete them.
In Conclusion
Leadership is an art and a science, with the human psyche at its core. By leveraging these psychological tips every leader should know, you can craft a more cohesive, efficient, and happy team, driving organisational success.
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