I wanted to share a funny story about one of my clients who brought the concept of followership to light. He may have gone a little overboard, but the change was definitely noticeable!

This is the second in a multi-part series on how developing followership creates greater employee engagement and a greater willingness to support a leader’s vision.

I am creating this series around what is core to great leadership so when leaders ask themselves ‘What am I missing? What and how can I do things differently?’ the answers will be clear.

Leaders that provide sterilized feedback so they don’t hurt someone’s feelings are doing a great disservice to the individual and the company. The truth matters.

How can new employees feel immediately embraced, cared for, build relationships with ease and learn on the job when most employees are working part or all of the time from home?

Emotional intelligence (“EQ”) is just as vital in the workplace as IQ. EQ has been touted as a critical quality in leaders and healthy cultures.

To enhance one’s EQ, you must first become aware of how your behaviors impact others and then focus on ways to create a supportive environment where others are not afraid to be authentic.

The way you communicate is the key determinant of how others perceive you. High impact communication requires stating your point of view and then ideally providing only one or two supporting points.

Follow the adage ‘treat others as you would want to be treated’ and you’ll have people eager to follow you wherever you lead.

Demonstrating gravitas can impact how others perceive you as a leader. The greater your gravitas, the more likely your colleagues will admire and respect you.

Self-awareness, a quality that many leaders lack. The absence of this can result in disconnected relationships and an inability to inspire others.

An industry colleague recently shared this article. It captures some of the most salient points about how to be a motivating and inspiring manager.

Joining a board is often viewed as “the brass ring” for accomplished women leaders. But once you join one, what are some strategies for making sure your board colleagues recognize that they made the right choice?

Uncertainty is unavoidable. As a manager, you need to be prepared to lead your team through murky waters, but doing so requires getting in the right mindset yourself.

A recent article from Harvard Business Review addresses a point that we all need to realize: when you broaden a discussion to include women, the perspectives will broaden as well. Women think differently than men and inclusivity ensures you get well-thought-through outcomes.

I often hear from women leaders what their employees most praise them for: they put the employee first, show they care about their needs and development, and are adaptable because ‘one size doesn’t fit all’.

Life is easier when we adjust our perspective. When the pandemic first started, our two grown sons and their girlfriends came to live with us in our new empty-nester house. The house felt very crowded and things like the messy mudroom and kitchen, the constantly full and running dishwasher, and the never-ending meal planning became tiresome and annoying.

As leaders, our patience and tolerance are tested more during times of crisis. Even though we have become better accustomed to working in these COVID times, we are still enduring a crisis. Our usual ways of operating have had to change, and we are hunkering down for the long haul.

I often advise new CEOs to become curious about what others are thinking—this helps team members feel engaged and embraced and it will confirm your ability to lead without arrogance.

What I love about this Forbes article is the ‘how to’ advice for being a calming leader during a crisis.