1. Say thank you!

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, a best-seller by Marshall Goldsmith, offers this wonderful tale. He was aboard a flight when an emergency occurred, and everyone believed the plane would crash. His main regret at the time was that “I didn’t thank the people I needed to thank.” After the issue was resolved, the first thing he did was send thank-you notes to everyone for their assistance.

Thank the people who’ve helped you become who you are with a thank you note. Just like your mom taught you.

2. Listen more (talk less)!

We learned from Alan Mulally that excellent leaders listen carefully. An asset is the ability to listen well. Observe individuals closely and pay attention to what they are saying. Currently, pay attention. You’ll pick up fresh knowledge. You’ll convey to the speaker your appreciation for what they have to say. You’ll develop trust.

There was a reason why our parents advised us to “talk less and listen more.” Actually, we were being taught a lesson in leadership.

3. Don’t interrupt!

Avoiding interruptions is a part of improving listening skills. Because we are bursting with ideas, we frequently interrupt people. Or we already know the solution and want to let the other person know. Or we believe our ideas are bigger and more significant than theirs. It occurs. When that occurs, pause and say sorry. The more you do it, the less you’ll interrupt others and the more you’ll start to demonstrate the value of listening to one another.

Say “I interrupted you, I’m sorry, please continue” the next time you do it.

4. Help each other!

Goldsmith says noone likes feedback; but everyone can use feed forward. Instead of dwelling on the past, feed forward is about asking each other for help for the future. He has people do this in pairs, each person tells the other something they want to improve on (i.e. I want to exercise more regularly), listens to the answer (i.e., schedule it into your calendar as if it is a meeting), says thank you (you don’t say “I don’t like it” or “I’ve heard this before”, you just say thank you). You then switch roles. Then you switch partners. The more people you do this with the more help you get and give. It is humbling, empowering, builds trust and it makes it apparent how to be there for each other.

We all need help and we can all give help.

5. Be kind!

Not having intellect, knowledge, position, or influence, according to Goldsmith, is one of the most crucial requirements for admission to the 100 Coaches programme. It is benevolence. The story of her grandmother helping a Chinese laundryman named Mr. Yi and receiving his only things in this nation—two exquisite, enormous Chinese vases—as he was leaving the country serves as an example of this lesson. It was one of the stories he had Frances Hesselbein tell us. Why? Because the only person who appreciated Hesselbein and demonstrated this regard by being good to him was his grandmother. She taught us the lesson she learned growing up.

Respect everyone and act with kindness. Additionally, it is perhaps the most selfless thing you can do.

6. Play!

This is my add. Approach work playfully because when we play, we’re like kids, we’re not afraid of making mistakes. We try things out without judgment and accept we have so much to learn. Playing with ideas, with new ways of doing things, and learning constantly is probably the best way we can move forward, innovate and learn from our failures. Great leaders I know go to work with a smile and a bounce in their step and make work look like play.

Play like a child even though you’re an adult.

How about starting today by thanking our parents and embodying their lessons in the office (and in life), everyday.