Third Quarter 2013- Issue 13
At the End of the Day- “A Favorable Leadership Culture: Believing in Your People”
In today’s professional world, it is common for the employer to forget one of the most important duties, LEADING his/her people. Employers adopt negative behaviors that have an equally negative influence on the employees. When the work environment is discouraging and overly critical, the work quality suffers, and the organization as a whole, begins on a downward spiral. Many times an employer will lose sight of themselves as a leader entirely, yet they will campaign with the message that they “believe in their people”. He/she will act or behave in ways that show them as anything but a leader. Here are some of the behaviors that are seen today:
- Lack of effective delegation.
- Curtail growth opportunities.
- In general, insensitive to their employees’ feelings.
- Avoid taking the time to fully understand a situation.
- Check the checker’s work.
- Untrusting of their employees.
Everything in life has an equal and opposite reaction. When leaders do everything but lead, the employees are the ones that feel the repercussions. On the receiving end, the people react or behave in the following ways:
- Their self-confidence takes a “hit” and is compromised.
- Continuously, their efforts are well below optimal performance level.
- They complete the bare minimum.
- They lose the passion that got them into the field in the first place.
- Idea generation and innovation becomes non-existent or virtually non-existent.
- Because trust is earned, they lose the ability to trust in their employer.
True belief in people is demonstrated by employers as they allow their people time and space to think and act. The employer can reclaim his/her leader (and not “just the boss”) status if they are secure in who they are as a person and as a professional. Truly believing in people illustrates that people are the most important part of the work environment. Also, it is crucial to keep things in context. It is easy to say one believes in their people when everything is going right. The challenge for leaders is to believe in their people when the chips are down.
The Bernard Bass “Transformational Leadership Style Model” includes these four elements: the Influential, the Inspirational, the Intellectually Stimulating and the Individual Consideration. Each of these elements exists when the leader’s behavior reflects that they believe in his/her people. In turn, the people will be more likely to go above and beyond for their leader, as well as other colleagues. When the leader of the organization truly believes in his/her people, it results in a positive leadership culture.
—Mario Flores
Mario.Flores. All rights reserved. No part of these materials may be reproduced in any form without written consent.
