by Steve Adubato, PhD

Much of leadership comes down to teaching. In the recent edition of Fast Company magazine, Chuck Salter's article "Attention Class: 16 Ways to be a Smarter Teacher" makes a powerful connection between the two fields. All types of "teachers" from those in the classroom to CEOs of big and small corporations weighed in on the issue of leadership. Consider the following tips to help you be the best teacher/leader you can be;

View yourself as a 'guide' for your students or employees. Instead of seeing yourself as an expert who holds on to important information, share what you know. The focus is not on you as the smartest person in the class or on the team, but rather on the people who need to better understand what needs to be done.
Allow the people on your team to take risks. "Learning takes vulnerability" according to Michelle Foreman, the 2001 National Teacher of the Year. Foreman says it can be scary for students as well as for people in the workforce to acknowledge in public what they don't know. The key is for them to know they can trust the teacher or leader not to make them look bad. Sounds so logical. Then why do so many teachers and leaders go out of their way to make their students and employees look bad?
Have passion for what you teach as well as for those you are trying to teach and learn from. Passion can't be faked. Students, as well as employees, know whether you care or not. Great teachers and leaders teach from the heart.
Communicate with your employees. When you break it down, teaching and leading largely come down to communication. People need to understand what you are trying to accomplish and why. This is particularly true of organizations undergoing significant change. Beyond employees, partners and customers, all shareholders need to understand where the organization is going and how they are invested in the outcome. That's about communication and teaching.
Don't be afraid to say "I don't know" when you don't. Sometimes that's the best answer because it is honest and shows you care enough to be straight with your students. Relax, being a good teacher doesn't mean you have to be an expert on every issue or question. When people know you respect them enough to be honest about what you don't know, they tend to appreciate you more. The beauty is that teachers and students can sometimes learn the answers together. That's what great teamwork is all about.
Don't do data-dumps. As a leader, it is important that you don't simply pass out information. Your goal should be to get people to think for themselves and ask the right questions. They can't do that if leaders and teachers are spoon feeding them the so-called right answers. Consider the adage, give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.
Finally, be a great listener. Like leadership, teaching must be a two-way street. It's a dialogue, not a monologue. Learn to ask engaging, open-ended questions. If you don't get an answer right away, relax. Allow for the silence that so many teachers and others dread. Wait patiently for a response. Silence and the thinking that hopefully goes with it can be a powerful part of the teaching process.
p.s.-Great teachers, like great leaders, see themselves as students who never stop learning. Write to me about a great teacher or leader who had a significant impact on your life.