Tonight’s full moon is a Blue Moon – not because it’s blue, but because it’s the second full moon in a given month. Because blue moons only occur once every 2.7 years or so, they are relatively rare. Even rarer are full moons that actually appear to have a bluish tint. This typically occurs when dust or smoke refracts light in such a way that the blue spectrum is most prominent.
The phrase “once in a blue moon” entered the English lexicon as a way of describing an event which happens rarely. While some events are prized because they are rare, some things need to happen more frequently to be truly valued. Exercising frequently is obviously more beneficial than occasional spurts of exertion. Ongoing home maintenance is less costly than massive repair projects.
And certain leadership actions have greater impact when performed regularly. Here are 10 easy things you can do as a leader that will have a tremendous effect on those around you.
1. Challenge someone with a project outside of their comfort zone.
2. Encourage someone who’s feeling discouraged after a letdown.
3. Coach someone who’s struggling to improve an aspect of their performance.
4. Recognize someone for their recent achievement.
5. Thank someone who’s helped you out of a bind.
6. Tell someone how important their job is to the team and your customers.
7. Apologize for something you messed up.
8. Ask someone about their professional goal and how you can help them achieve it.
9. Share an article, book or other resource related to someone’s area of responsibility.
10. Spend time brainstorming with people about possibilities that don’t exist yet.
Effective leadership involves building relationships. And you can’t build relationships if your interactions with other people are superficial and random. I promise that if you make an effort to engage with people on a deeper level as indicated by these suggestions you’ll find yourself connecting – and leading – in ways you never thought possible.
The next blue moon will take place on July 31, 2015. Where will you have taken your leadership skills by then?
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