What are your priorities for 2022? 

I am not talking about your business plan for the year and the goals you have set for your respective team. I encourage you to think about your overall leadership effectiveness and the impact you want to have on those around you.  

Stepping into leadership means you have influence on others’ mental health, general wellbeing, and happiness. Do not underestimate the impact you have on people’s lives, as leadership comes with a high degree of responsibility for human beings vs. solely driving results for your organization.

I heard many amazing stories last year from business professionals about how leaders and organizations really stepped up to be there for them; stories that spoke about how flexible work hours were offered to assist with childcare needs or other family responsibilities. Insights were also shared about how leaders checked in on them and asked about how they were coping during these challenging times, and what they and the company could do to assist them.  

I also heard many heartbreaking stories and sentiments about how others felt abandoned, not cared for, or disregarded. To quote a few statements to reinforce the not-so-great insights I heard: “I am just a number.” “My leader doesn’t care about me.” “My leader is not people oriented.” “It’s all about the revenue. They don’t care about us.”

I say this a lot and I am going to repeat it again:  If you take care of your people, they will take care of your business. 

It is that simple, and it is no surprise that the Great Resignation has been an outstanding theme that came about in 2021. Ushered in by the pandemic, people have been re-evaluating their lives, what they do for a living, where they want to do it and who they work for.

Having a sense of purpose and feeling valued are two of the top things driving this change.

According to research conducted by Gallup, managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores.

As a leader, it is your responsibility to create that sense of purpose by connecting the dots for your people and explain how their individual and team contributes to the bigger picture. That creates what we call “emotional connectedness” that will drive engagement and productivity upwards.

We all want to feel valued and appreciated for the work that we do, and as a leader you need to tune into how individuals on your team need that validation from you.

When in doubt ask, but to me this is basic common sense. Verbalize to the individual and make it specific; what did they do well that exceeded your expectations? Highlight their strengths and you will see more of that from them moving forward. That is the strength-based leadership philosophy that drives high performance. 

I encourage you to stop and think about how you influence the overall employee experience, one interaction at a time.

How are you showing up for your people and what experience are you creating for them?

Are you a self-aware and emotionally astute leader who understands the needs of your people?
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‍If you are modelling the right behaviors and achieving the desired results that is awesome. Keep up the great work! But I sense, at times, we can all use a little tune up in this area. When stress kicks in, we tend to operate on autopilot, and sometimes our positive habits and behaviors fall by the wayside.

What needs to shift with your leadership style and approach so you can give your people what they need to feel connected and valued to perform at their best?  

Would you like to improve your ability to lead more effectively and combat the Great Resignation impact your organization might be experiencing? 

We would love to hear from you so reach out to me, I am here to help support your success. Please reach out and email me at joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca or call me at 1.855.871.3374.