Brenden Burge Edited Oct 2 8:46am Two Principles: 1. If you want people to like you, Rule 1 is: Become genuinely interested in other people. (P. 86) 2. If you want to win people to your way of thinking, it would be advisable to remember Rule 3: If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. (P.177) • What did you find useful in the principles? ... The first principle is so practically applicable to our lives. It is not only applicable in a leadership sense, but also in our personal lives as well. If we want people to treat us well, we should be willing to treat them well first. I like to think about it in the reverse way: Would I want to be friends with someone who was rude to me? Probably not. I'd try to avoid them as much as possible. Looking at it from this perspective really has helped me understand why it's so important to show kindness to others if we want to be liked. As a leader, I apply this principle often. I want the people working with me to feel they are seen, heard, and respected. And, in return, they do the same - and produce great work. When motivation is high, productivity is generally high as well. As for the second principle, I can't stress the importance of admitting fault. It's going to happen, so how are we going to respond? Trying to escape responsibility will only make the situation worse. From a leadership perspective, I want subordinates to see that I too am human, and make mistakes. Sometimes a decision I make is not going to work, and that needs to be okay. People want to follow leaders who are humble, not those who are evasive. Delaying admission of fault will lower motivation and productivity. The quick admission of fault generally bolsters critical thinking by promoting problem-solving. Building relationships and humanizing leadership is a great way to "Win Friends and Influence People". • What, if anything, from the principles will you apply to your leadership development? Based off of the first principle I listed, I would like to apply it to my leadership development by committing to deepening relationships with team members. I would like to, as a leader, take time to encourage them by recognizing their contributions. In addition, I will make an effort to check-in on them, making space for them to express any emotional and mental well-being struggles. I do not want to be the type of leader that looks at subordinates as robots. They are humans, going through real battles and who need support, not to be torn down. Fostering an environment of trust and collaboration will ultimately drive innovation and productivity. The second principle can be applied by reinforcing to staff that admission of fault is okay. This can be emphasized in weekly meetings by emphasizing that mistakes are apart of the learning process. Practically speaking, I will lead by example and ensure that I am admitting my own faults. The team should be less concerned with the mistake and more concerned with the solution. The goal is that everyone can come together and say, "How can we fix this?"