2014 article in the NY Daily News reported that 70% of US employees were miserable. That’s almost ¾ of the workforce! AND, that was back in 2014. Sadly, in late 2018, the statistic was virtually the same. What does that reflect? It says that leaders are having a hard time keeping their employees engaged and stimulated. We have seen a shift in the workforce of today; it is much more diverse and younger than ever before.
As organizations increase in size, scope and transform, leadership has to increase in scope as well. Leadership is not about sitting in the corner office, behind a big desk and never venturing out (disengaged). As a leader, you have to engage your employees. Have a conversation, notice an accomplishment, reward an achievement and recognize strengths the employee may not even realize they have. We have to enable employees to unlock (and unleash) their full potential, at all levels. To enable, we have to be engaged so our teams are able leverage their strengths and unique perspectives.
Early in my career, I was recognized as an operations whiz-kid. I could quickly assess a situation and implement a strategy (or two) to immediately streamline productivity thereby increasing ROI. At the time I really didn’t know it was a skill. I just knew that if we reduced steps, productivity would improve and so would revenue. An engaged leader recognized this skillset and empowered me. I quickly moved up within that organization to eventually oversee a revenue stream in excess of 50M. I was in my 20’s – YIKES. While there were bumps in the road, I too, quickly learned to be an engaging leader.
My mentor, who was also my bosses, bosses, boss, saw something in me and empowered me to go forth and conquer. We eventually were the number 1 revenue generating group in the company. It was an honor but a scary endeavor. I was young and the company took a calculated risk.
My mentor was an engaged leader, in the trenches when necessary, guiding and empowering others to accept responsibilities they might not intrinsically feel they’re ready for. If she had not been engaged and continuously creating new opportunities for the employees – we would have been a disengaged team and most would have probably moved on. Turnover during her tenure was less than 4% over a 5-year period. I call that success!!
What are the traits of an engaged leader? Glad you asked. The most common and consistent behaviors of engaged leaders are: they step up and own situations & solutions, they energize others, they connect & stabilize their teams, they serve & grow those they lead through empowering, enabling and developing, and they stay grounded by remaining humble, transparent and authentic.
What’s the bottom line? Leaders must engage with their workforce to enable, empower, stretch their limits, optimize their effectiveness and help them actualize their goals. When we do this everyone will realize positive and profitable change!
If you’re a leader that doesn’t know how to engage, a Leadership Coach is a great place to start.