Three Proven Ways to Win Hearts and Maximize Performance

Three proven ways to win hearts at work with the 3Ps of Balanced Accountability in the workplace: Personal, Positive, and Performance.

Today’s post is by Hernani Alves, author of Balanced Accountability (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

When my wife and I became parents, we had no idea how much our children would teach us. From infancy to toddlerhood, they’ve shown me that accountability is integral to love. I love my children, and so I hold them accountable for their actions. It’s not always easy, but I know it will help them become the best versions of themselves. This is exactly how I approach leading.

The path to lasting success is paved by others. No one can do it on their own, which is why how we interact with one another is so important. If you want to excel as a leader, you must surround yourself with fantastic people and do whatever you can to help them thrive. Their victories will be your victories, and the experiences you have together will make you better at your job.

If you want to have a team that’s going to work just as hard for your success as their own (and vise-versa), you need to earn their loyalty. Here are my top Three Proven Ways to Win Hearts and Maximize Performances from your greatest asset: your employees.

Grasp Balanced Accountability

The idea of accountability as a tool didn’t come to me until I was an adult. I was in my first management position, and although our numbers were excellent, I didn’t have the respect of my team. I was difficult to work with and a classic micromanager. My colleagues and mentors helped me realize the kind of leader I wanted to be versus the kind of leader I was becoming. I needed to change if I wanted to advance in my career, and accountability was my way up.

This isn’t about calling out your team members for their wrong-doings. It’s about loving them enough to help them unleash the ideal versions of themselves. A great leader values their employees as individuals – it’s what distinguishes leadership from management. The best way to experience this is by practicing the 3Ps of accountability: Personal, Positive, and Performance:

Personal Accountability: It’s crucial that you hold yourself accountable. You must be willing to lead with self-awareness and respect. That means accepting feedback, opening your heart, and showing a willingness to improve.

Positive Accountability: Positivity is essential to developing a creative and high performing environment. Compliment a job well done and treat mistakes as opportunities to grow. No one will commit to you if they feel defeated.

Performance Accountability: This is the traditional practice of “holding someone accountable” for their actions. However, it is defined as coaching instead of penalizing. People are going to make mistakes, and you can address the issues without shame. Your employees need to know that you trust and support them. You must put in the work to help them do better.

Become Memorable

In those early days of management, one of my biggest challenges was connecting with the staff. I could be insensitive, disrespectful, and destructive with my words. Our numbers were great, but I was on borrowed time before losing total control of my employees. I had to hold myself to a higher standard.

Step one to winning back my team was introducing active positivity into the workplace – from acknowledging great performances to offering helpful solutions to challenges. We all had more fun, which led to bigger achievements all around. I went on to accept senior roles that allowed me the opportunity to work with thousands of employees. I loved it. Even after being appointed the president of my company, I knew that my real legacy would live on in those I coached to success.

The only way to make that kind of impact is to keep yourself honest and genuine. As a leader, you’re going to leave a mark no matter what. Make sure it’s something that you want to be remembered for.

Relentless Action

Taking these steps to better your leadership is just the beginning of your turnaround. You owe it to yourself and your staff to continuously practice and enforce accountability. It might be uncomfortable at first, but so what? Later on, it won’t be. Frankly, it isn’t any more stressful than not feeling confident in your position.

The 3Ps are an excellent starting place to help you push through the discomfort and build a perfect team. You deserve a staff that makes deadlines, responds to your needs, and engages during meetings. You should have a team that is enthusiastically on your side. Only you have the power to make this happen. Commit yourself to going for it.

There’s hard work ahead, and it’s all internal. As my mentor’s dad, Paul Carlsen, said, “If you want to be successful, surround yourself with great people, treat them well and make everyone successful.” You’ve got the people; now it’s time to put in the work to win hearts.

Hernani Alves is the author of Balanced Accountability: Three Leadership Secrets to Win Hearts and Maximize Performance (CLICK HERE to get your copy), international speaker, and consultant with over twenty years of business experience as a Sales Executive for a $3 Billion Company. He’s the founder of Balanced IQ, a company that helps leaders build world-class teams focused on getting sustainable results in varying economic climates.

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