Coaching an executive recently, he told me that his CEO had a way of making people feel smaller instead of taller. That really hit me. It was as if my client was now coaching ME. So I started asking this question:

When I come into the presence of those I lead, do they feel taller, or do they feel smaller?

Leadership is about the team. It’s about those we lead.

So, how do we make people feel taller or smaller?  Here are a few things…. do you have any to add?

To make people feel SMALLER, try this:

• Talk down to them.
• Interrupt them.
• Dismiss their ideas.
• Zone out on them while they are talking.
• Rebuke them in front of others.

To make them feel TALLER, try some of this:

• Acknowledge them when they enter the room.
• Listen actively and intently to them.
• Praise their efforts in front of others.
• Compliment them on something simple.
• Assign them something important to you with confidence.

Those things don’t seem so hard, do they? Will we get more out of our team if they feel tall?

I could go on, but I’d rather hear YOUR ideas. Add to the list!