Being a Successful Leader
In this study, published in Journal of Business Ethics, researchers uncovered how to be successful leader. While it is important for leaders to care about results and growth, they have to make sure they don’t get too focused on themselves. Their results, their sales, their impact on the company, their customers, etc. When leaders cross that line, they are considered to have “Leader Narcissism.” As the study found, this lowers employee engagement and eventually takes a toll on the entire organization. Taking the time to focus on employees and showing them you care, on the other hand, creates trust and loyalty, which leads to increased engagement, productivity, and creativity.
Showing Employees You Care
Dede Henley, founder of Henley Leadership Group, has been helping leaders and organizations create more equitable and productive workplaces for the past 30 years. Listed below are her three best tips on how leaders can show they care about their employees.
- Get personal: Leaders need to show that they are interested in people’s lives. Make an effort to remember important information such as birthdays, anniversary dates, the names of family members, any events important to employees. Stretching yourself to learn something new about a team member everyday will help build personal connections, and in turn, create a highly positive and engaged unit.
- Connect the dots: In order for employees to feel motivated and passionate at work, they need to know that what they do matters and that their time, energy and creativity add up to something important. Periodically sit down and discuss with team members about how their work is impacting the organization and why they are valuable members of the team. Employees that feel important are always willing to go the extra mile when it comes time to accomplish company goals.
- Measure More: Measuring things like the bottom line are very important to senior leaders. However, most employees are not informed about this kind of success and are usually unsure of how it relates to them. Make sure to also measure what matters to employees and communicate the results with them. Every organization’s employees are different, so talk with your team to find out what is important to them.
For more information, read Henley’s original Forbes article!
