“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Anonymous
The people I coach are what most would call “Alphas”. They are very smart, driven and accomplished. They know exactly where they want to go. The issue, in many cases, is that they don’t know how to get there, especially when “there” involves leading other people and engaging them in the journey. They are the kinds of leaders who encourage compliant behavior, not a fully engaged, motivated workforce. “These people just don’t get it. They are lazy and don’t think for themselves,” are two things these leaders might say, or think, about those who work for them.
Unfortunately, what they don’t realize is that the only way to engage a workforce is show them you care—care about their development, their safety, their security, and their families. When someone really feels, through a leader’s personal example, that they are cared about in these ways, magic happens. Teams come together, individuals sacrifice discretionary time, turnover decreases, time off for illness decreases, and productivity rises. This isn’t about throwing money at people. It’s about an attitude toward them and it spreads like wildfire in a culture. When you can get results like this, being a caring leader doesn’t sound so touchy-feely does it?
Till next time…
