"We Need To Talk" The ability to handle difficult conversations well is an essential leadership trait.

CHANGE BEHAVIOR.

You cannot change people; you can only change their BEHAVIOUR. And change starts with SELF-AWARENESS. As a leader, you can help your sub-ordinates to understand themselves better - their strengths and weaknesses, what works well and what does not in relation to the difficult situation.Once the awareness is achieved, it changes their attitude towards themselves, their colleagues and the business itself. Once an attitudinal shift happens, it invariably results in changes in behaviour that makes it then possible for them to commit to action.

LISTEN WELL.

Listen not only to what the person is saying but what he is feeling. To create clarity and to let him know you are genuinely listening, summarise what he is telling you - and ask him to do the same.In fact,listen to his version of the story first before sharing yours, and always demonstrate you are genuinely interested in hearing his version. More often than not, difficult conversations are emotional, and you need to get a good appreciation of the underlying issues that drive the emotions.

DEMONSTRATE EMPATHY.

A leader must be able to put himself in the other person's shoes and understand both the thoughts and the associated feelings in a sincere and selfless way. Showing empathy and understanding will lead to the development of mutual trust, which enables individuals to open up their minds and hearts and derive all the possible benefits to help move them towards their goals.

CREATE POSITIVE ENERGY.

Every difficult conversation leads to changes in behaviour. Leaders create a sense of optimism that is essential in moving people towards action. Positive Energy is created by positive talk that works both on the conscious and subconscious level. A good leader infuses people with positive energy so they look forward to the behaviour changes that they will need to make and the actions they are going to take to achieve their goals.

REFRAME PERSPECTIVES.

Either your world is perfect or it isn't. It all depends on your perspective, the way you look at things. Help the individual reframes his perspective - from one of imperfection to one that SEES POSSIBILITIES for perfection.