Check in on your people.

Drop by and ask how they are doing. Make regular “rounds” like a doctor does on a hospital floor. Take them to coffee at a time when there is no problem to talk about, just to see how they are. Ask if there is anything you can do to make things better. Send them a clip of an article that you have read that will help them.

Send an email when you notice a good piece of work. Have a bonding day every now and then where you close the shop an hour early and take everyone out for a few hours, or do an office barbecue for lunch. They want to see you in an apron.

To make them feel valued, listen. Don’t just tell them what to do and what your reality is, but listen to their views, thoughts, and experience. The more you do that, the more connected to you they will feel. You will capture their hearts, which is the basis of leadership.

Good leadership needs to come from the heart and is sustained by heart connections. If you listen and validate the experience and realities of those you lead, your leadership will be on more solid ground.