How to Become a More Powerful Leader.

Want to know how to become a more powerful leader?

Be willing to say, "I don't know."

Over the weekend, I got to watch the amazing movie "We Are Marshall," which tells the story of the Marshall University (W.Va.) football team who died in a plane crash in 1970 ... and how MU rebuilt their team.

Actor Matthew McConaughy plays Coach Lengyel -- the man who took the job that nobody wanted. Lengyel had to deal with the pain and grief of those who remained after the crash ... and the conflicting emotions that people held.

At several key points in the story, various characters ask Lengyel important questions, and Lengyel has the strength to answer simply, "I don't know." No psychobabble. No B.S. Simply, "I don't know."

BOTTOM LINE: When faced with emotional turmoil and chaos, powerful leaders have the internal strength to say, "I don't know."

Lonely employees, Emotional Engagement, and the Bottom Line

A new article entitled "Genes Get Lonely Too" from Newsweek by Sarah Kliff reports the growing body of research that demonstrates that the experience of loneliness can cause people to become ill.

Importantly, the research shows that it is not only the actual state of being lonely, but the perception of being lonely can also trigger illness. The article states ...

" ... loneliness actually changes how the body functions at a molecular level. The research links feelings of social isolation to an alteration in the activity of specific genes—ones that put lonely people at higher risk for serious disease. And the study, published in the current issue of Genome Biology, also points to the startling fact that it is the perception of loneliness that triggers the adverse health conditions, independent of how much social interaction an individual actually has. Even someone with hundreds of “friends” on Facebook or at the office might think of herself as a lonely person."

So why is this study important for leaders? A simple syllogism:


Employees who are emotionally engaged work are not lonely.
Lonely employees are more likely to become ill, negatively impacting the bottom line.

Therefore, one way to improve the bottom line is for leaders to increase the emotional engagement of their employees.

How do leaders increase emotional engagement?

Many increase emotional engagement by reading my books, Leading People the Black Belt Way and/or The Way of Leading People

BOTTOM LINE: Lonely employees (read: emotionally disengaged employees) are a symptom of serious problems in your organization. Effective leaders improve their bottom line by increasing the emotional engagement of their employees.