If surveys and media reports are to be believed, it seems employees aren't believing in their organization, aren't trusting ... they are undergoing a painful crisis of the heart!

So, here are 7 Easy Leadership Acts that will help you connect with your people so that you can overturn the crisis of heart that is not being addressed by so many leaders. Better yet, these actions will take little time away from all the other pressing matters you are faced with.

Easy Act No. 1: You Can Influence in A Better Way by Speaking Less

You will make a marked impression on others and more readily influence them when you are calm and willing to listen.

Often when someone complains about things that are wrong with the company, the natural instinct is to justify, defend or explain your position. However, if you can learn to stop this instinctive reaction and listen fully your ability to connect and influence others will sky-rocket. Because until people feel that they are understood they aren't willing to listen. So when you listen carefully communicate to the other person that you understand their perspective, then and only then will they be willing to listen to your perspective.

Unfortunately the skill of 'shhh' is not one most people have trained themselves to use. They are too focused on driving their own point home and making others understand their side of the story.

So, for this easy Leadership Act, practice the skill of 'shh' for the next few weeks. When someone is talking to you about something ... and you feel yourself wanting to jump all over them to correct their (from your perspective) erroneous viewpoint ... catch yourself and practice the skill of 'shh' by not saying anything until you have been able to communicate back to the other person's satisfaction their perspective and then and only then will you share your viewpoint.

Easy Act No. 2: Have Your Tea and Lunch Along With the Team

The company's cafeteria is the place to learn more about the tempo of any organization ... more accurate than anything you might read in a formal Mood/Culture Survey. (Read more here about changing your culture to high performance.)

If you are a manager who is introverted ... and who in the past has not mixed and mingled with the people on a personal or professional level ... this may be a bit difficult and uncomfortable initially - (for both you and them) - as the trust levels have yet to be built. Expect them to be guarded and for the conversation to be stilted.

However, do it consistently and long enough and you will soon be accepted as one of the 'gang'. After a while people will begin to be more open and trusting.

When the course of discussion turns towards issues that are hindering their performance - which is bound to happen as they become used to having you around - now is the time to practice fully Easy Action 1. Resist the great temptation of offering a justification or an explanation or to make excuses if the blame is being laid at the feet of management or organizational systems. (Just implement Easy Action no.1). This isn't the time or place to hold forth with management perspectives (this can be a tricky path to weave, you need to be loyal to your leadership team and systems and make it easy for people to share with you ideas and thoughts that might help improve the situation ... so choose your words wisely as you engage in the conversation).

You job is to just acknowledge and ask them "In which other creative ways they would resolve the problem?". Let them know that you are interested and keen to get their perspective. However, don't make any promises that you can't keep.

If you cannot use any of their suggestions you may say something along the lines of "while I can't promise that I'll be able to act immediately on your suggestions, I've now got it in my mind and it will certainly help me to make better decisions in the future."

'People, who are close to the problem, often hold the solution'... is a famous truism. So your Easy Leadership Act here is to get to know what is really going on for people and they systems they work within. Be a person they feel free to confide in by spending time regularly with them in 'their world'. Your team's performance will sky-rocket when you listen to people in the front-line about what they'd do differently and implement as often as you can their solutions.

Easy Act No. 3: Project Yourself In An Authentic Manner

Many people know more about their favorite sports team or t.v character than they do about themselves.

Knowing and being comfortable to allow the true you (the person that silently sits behind the mask you wear to work most days) to show up is one of the easiest and yet most challenging of leadership actions. Usually most of the leaders fall prey to acting out only those qualities which they think are needed for success. However, research has time and again proved that there is no one single set of characteristics, traits or talents that guarantees success.

The Chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, (voted best CEO by Forbes and Southwest is consistently voted as the most desired company to work for) follows a practice which he calls "Be Yourself". He attributes this simple way of being as one of the keys to his and Southwest's success.

Read more here on Authentic Leadership and Aligning Yourself.

Authenticity and Integrity go beyond just telling the truth. They originate deep within you. The greatest, most inspirational leaders are those men and women who have built a strong foundation. They have a clear sense of their values and standards and live them fully.

Living and acting authentically, people will extend their trust to you and be willing to walk the extra mile for you. Avoid trying to be something or someone you are not so that you can get ahead in life. There are possibly people in your workplace that you don't fully trust or believe in ... for some reason that you just can't put your finger on. You are possibly sensing that this person isn't being true to him or herself.

So your Easy Leadership Act 3 is to be yourself. Even if the way you behave isn't necessarily 'the way to get ahead in this company' if you do stay true to your principles, beliefs and values - in the long-run it will pay dividends far beyond what you can imagine.

Easy Act No. 4: Exhibit Your Appreciation for People's Work

Most people say they don't need to be appreciated, but surveys show they sure do like it! It seems, in survey after survey, that people do not feel their immediate leader adequately appreciates them.

To facilitate high performance levels from the people in your team, give yourself the rank of a 'CEO of the Heart'. To get the high performance results all organizations are after, people need to be committed with not just their heads, hands, but most importantly with their hearts. This is when you get inspired performance from people. One simple way of connecting people's hearts is to show appreciation for their efforts.

It seems saying 'thanks' is becoming a lost skill in our world of busy schedules and rush. When was the last time you received a hand written note from someone (and email doesn't count - real pen, real paper) letting you know that you are doing the right thing and that you are appreciated?

When was the last time you sent a hand-written note to someone letting him or her know you appreciate his or her efforts (even when that person isn't your best performer)? Don't overlook the power of showing appreciation for effort.

A wonderful thing about acknowledgment and appreciation is it makes the receiver and the giver feel terrific. That good feeling is something everyone wants to have repeated, so you are more like to encourage continuing good performance when you regularly use the skill and tool of appreciation.

Here are some sample appreciation letters you can use with your team members.

So your Easy Leadership Act is appoint yourself 'CEO of the Heart' and look for ways that you can inspire people to connect their head, hands and heart to achieving the organization's mission. The quickest and easiest way is through genuine appreciation - but there are so many other techniques you can use to connect people's hearts.

Easy Act No. 5: Focus Upon The Good That 'Challenging' People Bring

Obviously, in any group or team there will be at least one or two people whom you find are a bit challenging. Strangely enough these people who pose a challenge to you might become your greatest gifts. These are the people who offer you the opportunity to learn so much more about yourself and push you to thinking in new and different ways.

People who defy and do not comply, who are under-performers and who rub you the wrong way certainly capture your attention ... and it can be attention that you begrudge.

You have possibly heard of the Law of Attraction - one one of the principles of the LOA is that whatever you place your focus upon you will draw forth more of it. So if you are focused on someone being a 'pain in the neck' then that person will show up for you with those behaviors on a regular and consistent basis.

So, whenever you feel yourself resisting a person, pause and instead of focusing on all that they do wrong, find the one or two things that you can appreciate about them (no matter how small). The more you focus your attention on what it is you want the more it will show up. For more on how to effectively influence others and to fine-tune the skill of focusing your attention download the ebook "Influence Your Way To Success".

So your Easy Leadership Act here is give more of your attention to what a challenging person gets right than focusing upon what they do that makes your life difficult. Write out how you would like your relationship to be with this person. You will be amazed, but over time if you really do practice looking for the good - eventually the person's behavior does change. I have witnessed it so many times, I hope you trust me on this one and do practice it. The results won't be immediate, but like building a muscle in the gym practiced with regularity you will see different results.

Easy Act No. 6: Issue a Business Card to Everyone in Your Team

An incredibly inexpensive and astoundingly powerful practice is to provide each team member with a Business Card. Particularly for people who have never been in a position to have a business card the act of receiving their own business card can be very meaningful.

This impressed the customer so much that she called up to inform us that she will always buy only Colgate products from now on. She went on to add that if the team members are so proud of the product, then it must be worth using.

When people feel important they will promote your business and proudly so and that is very, very powerful.

It's a really nice touch if you can have a person's business card ready for them on their first day of work with you. You not only send a message that he is wanted in the company, you also send a message of the hopes and expectations you have for them.

Easy Act No. 7: Know Your People Individually & Take Time To Care

If you don't know your people as individuals; their strengths, weaknesses, hopes, dreams, desires, challenges, learning styles and hot buttons, you will find it difficult to engage and energize them. Read more about how to create a strengths based workplace here.

Who do you work with that seems to truly care for others? You know, the person in your team who knows the names of the partners and children of the people they work with? Who is the person that seems to know when someone is feeling less than his or her best? This isn't a person who is a snoop, it is a person who has taken the time to connect with other people and show that they care about what is going on in their world, beyond the workplace.

How much do you know about the people you work closely with? Do you know their challenges both personal and professional? Do you know who has a sick child/relative? Do you know when the birthday's of people you spend regular time with? Do you know where they want to go on their next holiday? Do you know any of their life goals/dreams? Have you taken them on a journey to discover their strengths and enabled them to make regular use of them through their work day? Do you know what frustrates them most about working for you and your organization?

Owing to the busy nature of everyone's schedule and getting caught up in your own priorities there is always a high possibility that you can forget to care for others, (or for some it isn't a skill that comes naturally). So make use of a tool to help you to remember to take the time to care.

Make use of a diary to remind yourself to care. This isn't manipulative it is simply using a tool to help you to remind yourself to be a human being rather than a human doing. Set aside times in your diary that makes sure you go and interact with people around you on a human basis rather than just being in work mode.

With so many things on your mind, you can't be relied upon to remember everything that the myriad of people you interact with every day tell you. So it is the ultimate form of caring if you take the time to make notes that remind you of the conversations you have with people and what you would like to follow up with - for example - Ask Jim how brother is doing since being in hospital; Ask Mary how she is going with deciding about her next career move. This simple tool helps remind you that life is about connecting with others and caring about the people you interact with daily.

Your Easy Leadership Act: Make it a habit to connect daily on a personal level with team members as you go about your normal business. When you do this you drive home the point that you care for them and their success is your success.

And A Bonus Easy Action: Take Time To Be With Yourself

Make effort to take some private moments for yourself, away from the din and busyness so that you can connect with the inner you, listen to your body and sense if you are on the right track to living and leading your life the way you desired. When you do this your inner voice will help in reaching extraordinary successes in life.

By allotting some time for yourself you can tune down your inner struggles and pave the way for more joy and abundance in your world. You are allowing yourself time to rejuvenate and replenish your inner resources. As you, regularly find that inner peace and serenity you become well equipped to tackle the din in the external world.

This time that you have taken out for introspection and reflection will pay dividends in leaps and bounds for both yourself as well as for people with whom you interact with on a daily basis. You can see the bigger picture of life and are better prepared to take creative and inspired action - rather than reactionary action.

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