How to lead reluctant employees

How to lead reluctant employees

• Written by  Ruth Olurounbi

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Leading not too difficult people may 

seem like a great thing to do but the 

true test of leadership is leading the 

most difficult people, and bringing the 

best out of them.

Granted, leading those who don’t want 

to follow is a daunting task, especially 

when the success of your company/

organisation is at stake. Regardless of 

a person’s original intent, opinion or 

position, the key to closing a positional gap is simply a matter of finding common ground in order to 

establish rapport, Mike Myatt, leadership advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs and Board said.

So, what are the requirements needed to lead reluctant followers? First of all, you as the leader have 

got to be consistent. That means you to have say what you mean and mean what you say.

An inconsistent leader will lose the respect or his followers, be it employees of subordinates; that is if

they had the respect in the first place.

Now, you have to understand that, and live with the fact that most people don’t have to agree with you 

100 per cent of the time, “but they do need to trust you 100 per cent of the time. Trust cannot exist where 

leaders are fickle, inconsistent, indecisive, or display a lack of character.

Never be swayed by consensus that calls you to compromise your values, rather be guided by doing the 

right thing. Finally, know that no person is universally right or universally liked, and become at peace with 

that,” Myatt also said.

One other thing a good leader needs to do is make respect a priority. Mr Sunday Folayan, Managing 

Director at SKANNET, said a leader has to respect the people he works with and treat them as 

individuals that they are. And like Myatt pointed out, disagreement and disrespect are two different things, 

or at least they should be. He explained that regardless of whether or not perspectives and opinions differ, 

a position of respect should be adhered to and maintained.

“Respect is at the core of building meaningful relationships. It is the foundation that supports high 

performance teams, partnerships, superior and subordinate relationships, and peer-to-peer relationships. Respecting the right to differ, while being productive, is a concept that all successful executives and entrepreneurs must master,” he added.

A good leader should have clarity of purpose. Organisations would never exist but for people and a 

leader has to know that. Therefore, in becoming a better leader, you need to understand that even as a 

manager; you do not have the power to lead until your team sees you as a manager.

“A leader has only two choices when it comes to his/her people – serve them and care for them. 

Sometimes this means working through challenging scenarios and situations. If as a leader you’re 

not up to this task, then you should rethink your decision to lead,” according to Myatt.

Source: Tribune