According to Nelson Mandela, "When you speak to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart". Great leaders touch people's hearts before they ask for their hands. Every team has a language and a good leader has to be able to speak the language of the team in order to be very productive. While english may be the communication medium at your workplace, it should not be the only language your team speaks. A team that speaks one language is being held captive while a team that speaks diverse languages is an engaged team. A captive leader leads his team only by rules and regulations while an engaged leader leads his team by rules, regulations but most importantly by having a relationship with each team mate.
As a former TA Consultant at UC Davis, I discussed with my clients about various ways to engage their classroom. Based on research studies and experience with my clients, I found that teaching that focused on a particular learning style alienates more students than those that were diverse. In order to engage a classroom, an audience or your team, a team leader must be able to become all things to the team without loosing his identity. A great team leader individualizes his teammates and knows those that require coaching, mentoring, training, development and those that require independence. A great team leader makes an effort to know what his team mates care about (names of loved ones, hobbies, sports etc). A good team leader is close enough to inspire his crew and far enough to lead them. Using the same leadership style on everyone is like saying everyone from a particular country all look the same. Ouch! Knowing your team is hard work, but if it is valued productivity you are after, it is worth every effort. This way, your team will see you as a person and not just a position.
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