Will your people follow your lead?

As a leader, how do you build and strengthen relationships right from the beginning of a working relationship? 

The cover of a recent U.S. business magazine posed the question; "Will your people follow your lead?" While this is a good question for leaders to consider. ... Rather than focusing on our role and content, and trusting that our participants will adjust to us, it is increasingly important that we establish an environment of inclusion and influence.... As people interact around a shrinking globe, both in person and electronically, the ability to build and strengthen relationships right from the beginning is absolutely critical to the success of projects and organizations. [Leaders]who lack the ability to nurture relationships or who are pressured to deliver immediate results without taking the time to establish a foundation of rapport, tend to be less productive in the long run. So how does one build relationships, strengthen positive influence, and establish an environment of inclusion when working with audiences around the globe?

By: Kevin Sensenig
Published in journal: Training & Development - February 2011, Vol. 65 Issue 2