Powerful Leadership "Hacks"

Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash

The organization was struggling. Employee turnover was soaring. Morale was plummeting.
 
The once approachable leader had become aloof and anti-social. 
 
His actions put a barrier between himself and all the employees. It created distrust among everyone in the organization.
 
His demeanor spread. His actions polarized the organization. Employees felt alienated between themselves and leadership. This caused tremendous internal bickering - employees began to fear for their job.
 
What can you do to prevent this from happening in your organization?
 
1. Display “same team” mentality.
 
Studies show most employees want to be part of a successful and well-run organization. They want to feel everyone is working towards the same goal. 
 
In fact, those who feel they are working on a team actually work 48% harder in their job, this statistics according to Stanford Research.
 
Showing team spirit establishes a bond between leaders and employees - employees want to help the leader and organization become successful.
 
2. Acknowledge their work with the organization.
 
Have you ever had a leader who genuinely thanked you for completing an assignment?  
 
Most employees respond by striving to do more for the leader. This can be as simple as a kind word or a drink from Starbucks.
 
Jo told of a previous boss who always acknowledged employees when they completed extra work projects. Jo said that she would always work overtime or take on extra projects for this leader because she knew her work was appreciated.
 
An article in a 2019 Harvard Business School paper stated that “what really matters in the workplace is helping employees feel appreciated.”
 
3. Respect employees for who they are and their talents. 
 
Everyone wants to be respected.  
 
And the best leaders find ways to boost the self-esteem of all their employees. John Maxwell said:  
 
    When people respect you as a person, they admire you;
    When they respect you as a friend, they love you;
    When they respect you as leader, they follow you.
 
Every individual has unique strengths and abilities. Show respect to everyone regardless of position.
 
4. Encourage employees to take on more responsibility.  
 
This is especially beneficial when you allow employees to explore areas that interest them.
 
Ask how they would like to grow with the organization. And if they have special areas of interest.
 
Employees promoted internally perform much better overall, according to Forbes. So, it is advantageous to encourage all employees to take on greater responsibility - this communicates you trust them.
 
5. Be a good role model.
 
Lee Cockrell spent 10 years at Disney and led a cast of 40,000 team members. 
 
The former VP of Operations at Disney said, “a leader’s job is being a good role model.”
 
Cockrell points out that being a good leader involves actively making those difficult choices every day to encourage, respect and promote employees.  
 
Employees automatically emulate the leaders of the organization. StoryBrand.
 
Amazing changes happen in organizations when these principles are incorporated - the culture of the organization begins to see transformation. Employees are naturally more committed to their work. Turnover begins to decline. Performance increases. And company profits begin to surge. 
 
Is your business ready to be transformed?