Ok, this title should be self evident, especially to long time readers of this blog. Here’s some data to “prove” it though. It comes from a report from The Engagement Institute, a collaboration of The Conference Board, Sirota-Mercer, Deloitte, ROI, and The Culture Works and Consulting LLP. Here’s what they found:
Disengaged employees cost U.S. companies up to $550 billion a year
I love this type of research because it talks to the data side of our brain and reminds us that our work isn’t all about the data! In my book, From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership, my co-author Guy Harris and I talk about task functions of leadership and people functions of leadership. This fact illustrates the incredible connection between the two.
Here are some other facts:
- As leaders we are leading people.
- People want to follow people they know, like and trust.
And those things require an emotional connection, don’t they?
Let me see if I can enter the conversation that might be going on in your mind now:
Q: Does this mean we as leaders must become friends with all of our followers?
A: No, of course not.
Q: Does that mean I have to spend equal amounts of time with everyone, in some sort of fairness balance?
A: No – you will be naturally attracted to some people and their personalities, your personal connections, and more. That is ok. You don’t have the mental, emotional or physical bandwidth to do this with everyone you lead – but that doesn’t mean you ignore it with everyone either.
Q: What does this mean then?
A; Be real with people. Let them know you care. Be likeable.
Engagement is a great word, but a trendy one. Don’t lose the meaning underneath the trendiness. As a leader we are only leading if people are following. And people follow people.
Be real.
Engage people because it is the right thing to do, not because it is another thing on our task list.
Hello Kevin!
What a wonderful and timely blog. I’m sure you know that Covey speaks of balancing TASKS and RELATIONSHIPS. It is a great model as well. I am looking forward to your new book. Give Lori my best and wishing you all a “remarkable” year!
~ Jenny Rog
Great article Kevin, and even to me, reading your Blog for the first time I agree it should be self evident. You either have it or you don’t and that is why another word that people lose the “meaning under the trendiness” to is authentic. You can’t fake it as people will see through you and they will in turn not trust you. As you say, if they don’t trust you they won’t follow you.
Thabo – Welcome on your first viist, and thanks for the great comments! I think we could make a long list ofwords that are of great value, but have lost their power – authentic would be on that list for me as well.
Kevin 🙂
The article is useful one. It riddled out intricate structure of leadership into a simple structure. The uniqueness of your article is indeed something that is influential in nature if probed deeply.
PS: I love receiving your articles – they are always a good read!
Thank you.
Thanks Poul for the kind words. While leadership is a complex thing, there are principles that we can start from that will lead us to greater success. One of my goals is to highlight, illuminate and remind us all of those principles.
Kevin 🙂
Good thoughts Kevin. I am a long time student of leadership having managed people for over 30 years. Actually, I was never able to understand it until I stopped studying leaders and tried hard to learn about what followers follow and how they react to managerial actions. That effort allowed me eventually to raise employee performance by several hundred percent and cause them to literally love to come to work.
I would appreciate your comments on two videos available on my website, “What Is Leadership” and “How To Create Engaged Employees”.
Best regards, Ben