identity. I confess that coaching alone wasn't responsible for their successes.
Leadership requires common sense, knowledge, and honesty with people. It's talking – and walking – the talk. Effective leaders learn about the people they lead, they communicate well, they offer relevant feedback and praise, and they give credit to those who deserve it. They are a positive force at work (where people spend most of their time), and create a welcoming, productive environment where people can enjoy their jobs.
Secret Ingredient: People
“You can dream, create, and design the most wonderful place in the world…but it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
When Walt Disney made this statement some 55 years ago, he likely never imagined that it would be applied to the workplace and become a core management tenet.
It doesn't matter what business you're in – manufacturing, accounting, legal, high tech, biotech, blue collar, or white collar – nor the size or nature of your organization: It's people who are your most vital resource. Without highly motivated employees, your organization will struggle to survive.
Motivated people give you a competitive advantage. As a leader, you can make the difference between those who care deeply about their roles versus those who simply show up for work every day (if you're lucky), and go through the motions while collecting a paycheck. An effective leader motivates employees to work together and achieve greatness, instilling confidence and trust as they go about their everyday business.
Of the 70 percent mentioned in the previous Gallup article, 52 percent are not engaged, and another 18 percent are actively disengaged. These employees are emotionally disconnected from their companies and may actually be working against their employers' interests. That's a frightening number! What does this say about the state of leadership today?
People make companies. As leaders, we often spend most of our time on strategy and improving bottom-line results, but what about our people? It's our job as leaders to guide them, help them develop more skills, and increase productivity.
I've often questioned why so few MBA programs include essential people skills (often called “soft skills” in their curricula). I was therefore happy to read a recent Wall Street Journal article describing how top MBA programs are starting to incorporate soft skills into their course studies. It's about time! In today's workplaces, these soft skills can make or break a leader. Let me give you an example.
Jim Gets It Done the Right Way
Jim, an engineer at a pharmaceutical plant, was loved by everyone he worked with. When people in production had a problem, they would seek him instead of their manager for help. Jim was outgoing, pleasant, and well-grounded in the technical components of his job. He always had a smile on his face, a kind word for everyone, and a positive attitude. He went out of his way to show people how to do things correctly. And when anything extra needed to be done, Jim always volunteered. He was the first person in his department to arrive each morning and usually the last person to leave. With 15 years of industry experience under his belt, he knew what it took to be successful. He had all of the basic traits and talents to be an effective leader, yet no one ever considered him leadership material.
One day, the process engineering department manager suddenly left without giving notice, and the company was hard-pressed to find a replacement. Executives didn't believe anyone inside the company could step up, so they planned to recruit from outside.
One employee asked the obvious: How about considering Jim for the job? After much debate, the execs decided to take a chance on him, with the condition that he receive leadership training to enhance his skills. They called Jim into the conference room and asked him if he was interested. He initially stated he wasn't interested, saying he enjoyed doing what he had always done and didn't want to make a change. Besides, he told them, he had never been a manager or leader, and he didn't know what to do.
The executives asked him to reconsider, as the new job represented a major step up in his career, as well as an opportunity to share his knowledge with others. After giving the promotion much thought, Jim changed his mind and decided to accept the position. The management team was pleased, and they began a highly structured program through which Jim could develop his leadership skills. They sent him to seminars outside of the company and provided a coach to work with him. Company executives understood that they needed to provide Jim with the right tools if they wanted him to succeed.
After a few months of intensive training, a once-reluctant Jim was eager and ready for his first day of leadership. He felt both excited and nervous as he arrived early Monday morning and proceeded to stand at the entryway to his department. He greeted everyone by their first names as they walked through the door and asked about their weekend, family, and children. He made a concerted effort to learn about his employees' outside activities and personal interests.
Jim had worked over the weekend to learn something about each employee, and he came through the door prepared. His ability to demonstrate that he cared about his staff and that he viewed each member as an individual started him off on the right foot with his department. Jim's leadership training and coaching paid off on the first day of his new job, creating a buzz among employees about the newly promoted manager's genuine interest in his staff's personal and professional lives.
During his first week, Jim held one-on-one meetings with each team member, followed by weekly team meetings. Each session had a specific agenda, and he enthusiastically solicited input from team members. The group was excited and motivated because Jim demonstrated a basic leadership principle: People make an organization, and engaging them creates loyalty.
Over time, Jim's department developed a reputation for highly motivated, energized, and productive people. Company employees jumped at the chance to transfer into Jim's department. One of Jim's secrets of success is that he understood what his people wanted, not just what he wanted, and he acted accordingly. He proactively asked his staff for feedback about his leadership style and effectiveness. He quickly learned that what was important to him wasn't necessarily important to them.
Jim asked questions: What can I do to make you happier here? What do you find challenging about your work? What's energizing about your work? How can I be a better leader for you to be successful? What resources do you need that you currently don't have? What motivates you to work hard? Do you feel appreciated and receive the praise and recognition you feel you deserve?
Over time, Jim was deemed one of the best managers in his company, a designation that continues to this day. He continually works to improve his leadership skills and understands the premise that Walt Disney espoused 55 years ago: It takes people to make the dream a reality.
The Inevitable Result of Failing to Take Responsibility
Unlike Jim, many managers and leaders fail to take responsibility. They are quick to point their fingers at others for failures. Looking in the mirror proves to be too difficult for them, and they are more than happy to abdicate personal responsibility.
This concept was put to the test when J. Tyler Leverty, PhD, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business, studied failed executives, including:
● Lehman Brothers Chairman and CEO Richard S. Fuld Jr., (aka the Gorilla on Wall Street), named one of Portfolio.com's Worst American CEOs of All Time.
● The duo of Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay and CEO Jeffrey Skilling, whose illegal business exploits led to indictments, trials, and criminal convictions. According to Dr. Leverty, the pair blamed an angry short seller in Florida for
