Do you know what your leadership communication style is? 

Understanding your leadership communication style will help you communicate better with your team and help your team communicate better with you! So what are the different leadership communication styles and how can you use this knowledge to your advantage? There are 4 different leadership communication styles.

1 – The Driver

The driver often feels like a more dominant communicator. They are focused on pushing a team forward and prefer to communicate with others (and be communicated with) directly. A lot of drivers can feel like a “steamroller” to their team members because they are so action-oriented and so intently focused on accomplishing a goal or completing a task. Drivers are not necessarily mean people who don’t care about others’ feelings, they are just so motivated by results that they can often come off as harsh and intense. 

Here are a few characteristics of the leadership communication style, DRIVER:

• Get things accomplished
• Cut to the chase
• Direct and pointed 
• Likes to be in charge
• Action-oriented
• Makes quick decisions
• Will take risks
• Can be abrupt 
• Usually in a hurry
• Self-starting
• Like to delegate
• Don’t take time to teach 
• Opinionated 
• Extroverted

When communicating with a driver here are some important things to keep in mind: 

1. Say just what they need to hear. 
2. Resist the small talk. 
3. Stick to business.
4. Be well prepared. 
5. Have an organized package. 
6. Provide options for them to choose from.

2 – Expressive

Someone with an expressive leadership communication style is going to be a more social, talkative leader. They are very energetic extroverts that can seem to be distracted at times. They are fun personalities who love people and can talk to anyone. Expressive leaders have a lot going on in their brains and tend to be more creative thinkers. 

Here are some characteristics of the expressive leadership communication style: 

• Love to talk
• Abstract thinkers
• Creative
• Like to influence 
• People-centered
• Poor listeners 
• Lots of energy 
• Extroverted 
• Optimistic 
• Fun-loving 
• Gregarious 
• Quick thinkers 
• Lots of gestures 
• Funny (has a sense of humor)

When communicating with someone with an expressive leadership communication style it’s important to keep these things in mind: 

1. Provide a warm, friendly environment.
2. Ask about things that interest them. 
3. Put details in writing.
4. Ask “feeling” questions. 
5. Be fast-moving and stimulating

3 – Amiable

A leader with an amiable leadership communication style is going to be a little more down-to-earth and reserved. They will not be as gregarious, expressive, or dominant as other leaders. Amiable leaders are going to communicate in a non-threatening manner and make sure everyone’s opinions feel heard. They are not going to get too excited or dramatic and will not rush into new things quickly. 

Here are some characteristics of the amiable leadership communication style:

• Nice people
• Responsible 
• Reserved 
• Logical
• Cooperative
• Persistent 
• Good listeners 
• Like to be of service to others 
• Relaxed and easy-going 
• Steady temperament
• Like to take time in making decisions 
• Dislike confrontation

Keep these things in mind when communicating with someone with an amiable leadership communication style: 

1. Begin with a personal comment to break the ice.
2. Present your case softly and in a non-threatening manner. 
3. Allow them time to think. 
4. Present ideas and goals logically. 
5. Don’t rush them

4 – Analytical

Leaders with the analytical leadership communication style are going to be very black and white. They want to know the facts and are detail-oriented because they are focused on problem-solving. They are going to be resistant to change and are not going to be very keen on taking risks. Leaders who communicate analytically are going to likely be more introverted rule followers who believe there is a “right way” or “wrong way” to do things. 

Here are some characteristics of the analytical leadership communication style: 

• Quantitative
• Perfectionists
• Must have the facts
• Critical thinkers
• Like the details
• Resist change
• Low-risk takers 
• Follow the rules 
• Introverted 
• Task-oriented 
• Few gestures 
• High standards

When communicating with this type of leadership communication style: 

1. Prepare your case in advance.
2. Stick to business.
3. Keep emotions to a minimum.
4. Be accurate and realistic.
5. Be straightforward.
6. Have action plans in writing.

Discovering Your Leadership Communication Style

So, do you have a solid idea of what type of communication style you use? You may think you have a good grasp on how you communicate as a leader but have you ever taken the time to do a self-assessment? Most leaders have not so that’s why we created our own self-assessment that you can do in less than 5 minutes. This tool will instantly tell you your leadership communication style once you walk through each of the prompts. 

Click here to take your assessment and let me know what your leadership communication style is!

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Executive leaders who conform to the norms and expectations of others are not leaders at all.  Execuitve leaders who conform are implementers of the tasks, goals and expectations that others have created.  But, isn’t the CEO supposed to deliver on the expectations of the Board and the shareholders? Isn’t the Division President supposed to achieve the numbers laid out in the business plan for the division?  The answer to both questions is certainly “yes, but.” Just because they deliver on the expectations or achieve the numbers, does this make them a leader?  That answer is “no”.

Recently I came across writings by two men talking about leadership. The first was sent to me from a good friend and advisor to me, Mark Oakes and was actually a lecture delivered to the plebe class at West Point in October, 2009 by William Deresiewicz. Mr. Deresiewicz is described as a former professor of Literature from Yale and who is currently a literary critic.  The text of his lecture can be found  here. So what does a literary critic know about leadership?  Good question, which can support my assertion that a leader who conforms or who listens to only other “leaders” is not a leader at all.

The other writing is by one of my favorite bloggers, Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing.  He recently wrote a blog extolling the value of leaders having a trusted group of advisors available to them.  That blog can be found here and is well worth reading.

Mr. Deresiewicz points out that “we have a crisis of leadership in America because our overwhelming power and wealth, earned under earlier generations of leaders, made us complacent, and for too long we have been training leaders who only know how to keep the routine going.”

Most executive leaders are just trying to replicate what the earlier generations have done and we are realizing now that it is not working.  Because they are not really leaders, they don’t know what to do, but to keep trying to conform, because it worked before. What we are failing to recognize is that times are definitely changing and different executive leadership is needed – in a critical way.

He goes on to assert that today’s leaders:

•    Can answer questions, but don’t know how to ask them
•    Can fulfill goals, but don’t know how to set them
•    Can think about how to get things done, but not whether they are worth doing in the first place. (It was Peter Drucker, I believe, who said that manager makes sure things are done right and leaders make sure the right things get done.)

“What we have now are the greatest technocrats the world has ever seen, people who have been trained to be incredibility good at one specific thing, but who have no interest beyond their area of expertise.”  This is a scathing review of leaders – coming from a literary critic, no less.  Yet, I have to agree with him.  Our executive leaders today are expected to conform.  CEOs of public companies are expected to conform to the expectations of Wall Street. If not, there will be tremendous pressure for the Board to find someone who will conform.

Governmental leaders are expected to conform to the expectations of the people who elected them.  By the very nature of wanting to conform to the masses, these leaders can’t have a shred of original thought – if they propose something radical, they risk being fired in the next election.  It has been said that the first thing a newly elected politician (including the President of the US) does when entering their new role is to begin the planning for their reelection.  Whose interest does that serve?

Mr. Deresiewicz’s lecture makes the case that leaders really need solitude to think for themselves and to resist the natural tendency to conform to what others expect.

For years, I have tried to have a block of time in my schedule each week to just think.  I would take a situation, ask a question, consider a problem or circumstance and enter into a time of “personal brainstorming” to think of ideas, potential solutions, etc.  I would write each one of them down, regardless of how ridiculous or absurd it sounded at the time.  This has been an extremely valuable exercise for me. I owe that idea to Earl Nightengale who wrote or spoke about it probably 50 years ago.

Next, reading Michael’s blog on having trusted advisors caught my attention.  In comparing the two lines of thinking, they can actually combine to form a powerful tool for executive leaders.  Trusted advisors are just that – they don’t make decisions for you, they advise.  They are trusted because their only agenda is to help you do what is best – they have no gain in the outcome, other than the intrinsic satisfaction of knowing they may have helped a leader consider something they had or had not considered.

So, what are the takeaways?  I think there are a few:

•    Real executive leaders need time to think of ideas, solutions and resolutions that are non- conforming.  I certainly do not mean they should be illegal, immoral or unethical.  They should be different, even revolutionary.
•    Real executive leaders must give worthy time to thinking for themselves and not be overly influenced by quick snippets of others, regardless of the source.  Thinking takes time, concentration and focus to be valuable.
•    Real executive leaders take the output of their thinking and have intentional, deep and meaningful discussion with their trusted advisors – those who know more about the subject than they do and who can be relied on to give an honest assessment and valuable input to the leader.
•    In the end, the leader has to make the decision; after all, that is what is expected of them.

What are your takeaways?

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Recently, I was meeting with a client and his four-person leadership team. The client, Jim, has owned this business for 30 years, has seen up times and downtimes, been through recessions and booms. Now, he is ready to move on and some of the leaders want to buy the business. Spoiler alert – Jim didn’t know about the Law of the Lid.

Jim invited me to work with him and his team to help ensure alignment and healthy communication among the group. While meeting with them, I realized one of the future owners, Mike, was being protective of those on his team. He stated he was careful to not give them too much work that would be a challenge to them. The reason Mike wanted to protect their workload was to avoid having to go in and “clean up the mess” they would have inevitably left.

That is when I introduced Mike and the rest of the group to the Law of the Lid. This law has been established by John Maxwell in a book which is probably his best-known book on leadership – The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. 

What is the Law of The Lid?

Maxwell states our leadership ability is the lid (or limit) that determines a person’s level of effectiveness. The lower an individual’s ability to lead, the lower the lid on his potential. The higher the individual’s ability to lead, the higher the lid on his potential.

This law goes on to state the people under a leader can never progress beyond the leader’s lid. For the team to grow, the leader must also grow by raising his or her lid.

Mike began to understand his role in this and saw this new perspective as helpful. 

But, what happened next was something I hadn’t anticipated! Jim, the owner of the business, then said, “You know, I think I have been the one to hold these guys (his leadership team) back from being the leaders they can actually be for this business.” It was an incredible moment of honesty and transparency from Jim.

On the drive back to my office I began thinking about this situation. How many leaders are just unaware of the lid or limits they may be unintentionally placing on those on their team? 

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Are you placing limits?

I’ve known Jim for 5 years now and I know he has times where he worries about his business. This is not unique to Jim! Just about every entrepreneur and business owner I know worries about their business. Yet worry isn’t going to solve anything, as we all know. Instead, you need to come to terms with your responsibility for your team’s current situation. 

You see, everything rises and falls on leadership – if an organization has great results, it is because of great leadership. If the organization has poor results, it is because of poor leadership. It is as simple as this. If the results are poor or below expectations, we must look at the leader to see what they did or didn’t do to create the outcome.

Expecting high performance when the leader is unaware of the limits or lids they have is a recipe for disaster every time. It is impossible to achieve great outcomes when the leader has an average level of ability. There is good news thought! Every leader can grow their ability and thereby enable their team to perform at consistently high levels.

If you have been disappointed in your team’s results, maybe it’s not the team’s fault – especially if they are performing under your direction. 

What is your current level of leadership ability? Are you placing a lid or limit on the growth of the team and therefore on their performance? If you can humbly admit this is the case, make a commitment to do what is necessary to raise your own lid. You’ll sleep better and you’ll also begin to attract higher performing talent to your team. 

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Meet Bill Bliss

Bill Bliss is the founder and president of Bliss & Associates. Throughout his coaching and consulting career, Bill has helped CEOs, company presidents, vice presidents, and directors across many disciplines with leadership coaching, team building, leadership development, succession planning, and strategic planning. His work has been with Fortune 500 companies as well as family run and privately held companies across the United States.

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During this season, many of us shift our focus to what we plan to buy for those in our families and sometimes for some of our work colleagues. It is really a great time of the year.

Often, the things we buy have a defined shelf life – a specific time of use. When the time expires, the item is no longer of the same value. The toys or electronics we buy for our younger kids break, become obsolete or other items come along to grab their attention. The clothes we buy become outdated. 

This year, allow me to introduce a different perspective on this season of giving. What about buying something for yourself or a work colleague which will have a lasting value? 

I’m speaking of buying something which will help you grow. Grow your leadership, grow your influence, or grow your business. If we are not learning and trying new techniques, methods and approaches, we are not growing. I’ve often said if we are not growing, we are dying.

The only guarantee of a better tomorrow is growth today. 

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What are some possible gift ideas? I’m so glad you asked! Consider some of these:

1. Growth Oriented Books – if you want to grow your leadership or your influence, or help a work colleague, there are a number of excellent books. If you would like some suggestions, let me know.

2.  Participation in a Mastermind Group – this is an excellent way to learn and grow with others in your organization, local community or even virtually. There are several topics I could suggest to you and if the interest is present, I can facilitate those groups, either on-site or virtually. These groups can focus on leadership or business growth.

3. Find a Mentor – Regardless of the stage of live you are in, there is always someone who has had the experience you desire to gain. Mentor relationships are not the occasional lunch when you are stuck. Rather, the best mentor relationships last for a year or longer with monthly sessions. To learn more about an effective mentoring relationship, let me know – I’d be happy to discuss some criteria with you.

4. Create And Implement A Personal Development Plan – This plan would likely include a combination of the above three strategies with some accountability to achieve measurable change and growth.

5. Hire A Coach For You Or A Work Colleague – While self-directed development plans are sometimes effective, the most successful people on the planet utilize the services of a qualified coach to help them grow their leadership, influence or business. 

6. Help Your Team – Many teams are less than high performing simply because they don’t know the best ways to communicate, trust and connect with their colleagues. There are various tools available to help those on the team increase their awareness with proven techniques to improve communication, trust and connection. I can help you with several of the best available tools.

If you really want to ensure 2019 is better than 2018, there is no better time to think of investing in growth for yourself or others which will pay dividends for years to come. Be intentional about having 2019 be the best year ever for you or a work colleague. 

Reach out to me and I’ll be happy to help you in any way I can.

Best regards,

Bill

 

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The last two weeks have been packed full with client work in five cities necessitating plane, train and automobile travel through nine states! I write this while flying the final leg home; so far, the travel has been uneventful, except for auto traffic during rush hours in a few major metropolitan areas.

The variety of client work included:

• Facilitating a session with a business owner and his leadership team to develop a 3 year strategic plan for an organization with plans to grow from about $30M to $65M during this time.
• Consulting with a $12M service company started by 3 partners over 30 years ago who desire to develop the next generation of leaders and begin the transfer of ownership.
• Working with a team of 4 who are the key leaders of a $500M construction project. There was a significant lack of trust among the group which needed some outside help to address.
• One-on-one coaching of 3 up and coming leaders in a $200M regional office in an intentional effort to prepare these leaders to run this business within a few years.
• A year-end review and planning session for the leaderships team of a highly regulated business with global operations.

The variety of work and engagement is very enjoyable to me; the travel, not so much. Reflecting on the last couple of weeks, I have a number of observations I hope you will find of interest.

1. We Assume Way Too Much – In each client situation, assumptions about the knowledge and commitment level we think other people have is usually inaccurate and leads to many, many misunderstandings. Leaders assume those on their team have the necessary knowledge, facts and required information necessary to perform expected tasks or move projects forward.

As it turns out, nothing could be further from reality. In each case, I was able to help the client understand the assumptions they were making and to help identify how the assumption can be avoided in future interactions. This insight alone will have immense value for years to come.

2. Conflict Avoidance Is Not A Good Strategy – Whenever two or more people attempt to work on a common goal, the opportunity for conflict is very real simply because capability, knowledge, commitment level and life in general are often different for each person.

Conflict doesn’t have to be nasty; on the contrary, healthy conflict can and does lead to greater levels of commitment to the final decision which is made. Conflict is inevitable, and successful teams know how to have healthy, productive conflict.

This team learned and applied a simple model which not only will develop trust; it will increase the profits the firm can retain.

3. Great Results Can Only Happen When Expectations Are Clear – Leaders expect certain results to be achieved, yet in each situation over the past 10 days, their expectations were not clearly communicated. This resulted in rework, delays, misunderstandings and stress – all of which could have been avoided if the leader took the time to ensure the expectations were crystal clear from the onset.

The time you invest in the beginning ensuring clear understanding of all involved will save countless  extra work hours on the team’s part. This will have a real dollar impact.

4. Einstein Was Right – Thinking we can do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome does result in insanity – for both the leader and those on the team, not to mention to ultimate customer!

Old habits are indeed difficult to break. Some habits continue to serve us well while others must be replaced if we are to meet the goals we desire. This is hard work yet the outcome is well worth the effort.

What lessons have you learned over the past month or so? I’d be interested in knowing!

Best regards,

Bill

PS, This message will be posted during the week of Thanksgiving here in the US. My warmest wishes to each of you and your families for a Happy Thanksgiving celebration. I am thankful for each one of you and am thankful I can spend the holiday with some family and friends.

PPS – I spoke too soon regarding the “uneventful” part of the travel. The second leg of the plane trip home was delayed about an hour due to a mechanical issue. Not that I am superstitious; however, I will not speak of an experience before it has been completed anymore!

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This was a very interesting week for me. Actually, it was the culmination of observing a consistently common element at play over the course of many weeks.

Both the clients I have been working with and many of their employees I have spoken to have expressed a common condition: disappointment.

After much consultation, careful listening, and earnest discussion, it seems the source of this disappointment comes from unrealized expectations or people not receiving what they had hoped for.

Specifically, leaders are disappointed in the results some or all on their team are producing. And employees are disappointed in the lack of clarity when they are given directions and often do not fully understand the expectations their boss has of them.

In my opinion, there is a relatively simple solution to reduce this sense of disappointment. The solution on the leader’s side is to clearly express expectations. The solution on the employee’s side is to receive accurate and clear feedback on a consistent basis. These ideas may seem simple enough, but can be very challenging to implement, so allow me to focus on one at a time.

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Clearly Expressing Expectations – this is a leader’s number one responsibility. Over the past 20+ years, I have had the privilege of working with over 60  organizations. In situations where I am asked to diagnose the root cause of issues, invariably one topic comes up all the time – poor communication.

Successful leaders spend a great deal of time formulating, editing, revising, and perfecting their communication. They don’t wing it. They take into account how their audience best receives and processes information. They construct their message in a way that can be clearly heard and understood.

Leader’s set the vision. This means they must explain with clarity a place or outcome the organization will realize at some future point in time, whether it is one week, one month, one year, five years or more. Then they create the environment to achieve the vision.

Receiving Accurate and Clear Feedback – Have you ever noticed how a young child reacts when they are given praise for a particular behavior? They are excited and happy. And since they like being happy, they will tend to do more of the behavior because they will receive more praise, keeping the happy emotion front and center.

News flash – adults are merely kids in grown up bodies! The vast majority of adults like to hear praise when they have performed well. It is not about being insecure – it’s about desiring the good feelings which come from being acknowledged and reinforced.

Adults also want to hear when they can do better. They particularly like this feedback from people they respect.

Finally, the frequency of the feedback has to be taken into account. Every day can be too much; once a year is not nearly enough. The best available research suggests providing some sort of specific comment or observation once a week or every other week has the desired effect of positive reinforcement and boosting engagement. And, feedback doesn’t have to be any longer than a minute or two.

The secret weapon of a leader is really two-fold: clearly expressing expectations and providing accurate and relevant feedback. Do you use this secret weapon liberally? If you do, it just may be the key to the high performance you are looking for in your team.

Best regards,

Bill

PS. If this topic of communication styles and frequency has piqued any interest, you will no doubt like to know I have a number of very cost effective assessment tools which will help you pinpoint the styles and preferences of those on your team (or others including your boss, your peers, your customers, and anyone else you communicate with on a regular basis.) Do yourself a BIG favor and reach out to me – you’ll thank me later for sure.

The Leader's Complete Guide to Communicating with Simplicity

Want to grow your ability to communicate as a leader to your team, clients, and partners? You need to check out our complete business leader communication guide!

Download Now!

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No one can deny change is all around us. Change is happening the way we shop, the way we view entertainment, the places or sources we rely on for information, and countless other examples.

But when it comes to changes in your organization, the question is whether you are driving the change or if (and how) you are being impacted by the changes others are initiating. 

The answer will reveal a great deal about your vision as a leader and the decisions you must make for your team. Are you doing the driving or are you in the position of having to react to what others are imposing on you and your team?

There are some types of change we can’t influence or control: the weather, road construction, air traffic control delays (I am writing this as I sit on a plane!).

But there are many types of change we can influence, such as inspiring teams towards a common goal or affecting positive behavioral patterns of those on your team to achieve new goals.

After all, the true measure of leadership is influence and everything rises and falls on leadership. Good leaders focus on influencing outcomes and driving change to enable those outcomes. 

If you sense in most situations you are on your heels or reacting to changes others impose, this probably means you are not initiating or influencing the changes and outcomes you would like to see. 

It might be interesting to review your performance goals from the past year and try to identify the significant changes you initiated versus the changes imposed on you by others. 

Consider the following:

• Do you have a practice of setting stretch goals for you and those you lead? If so, how are you doing against those goals – do you continue to drive the change necessary to achieve those goals, or have they been put to the side because of “other events” outside of your control?
• Are you regularly being asked by others for your perspectives on potential opportunities or current trends? If so, this could be a sign people welcome your insights and contributions to drive change.
• Do you think in terms of possibilities or obstacles? Possibility-oriented thinking suggests multiple solutions or approaches to drive change. Obstacle-oriented thinking might suggest you are focused more on how or why new ideas won’t work.

Leaders who drive change generally see multiple solutions to a problem or issue. These leaders abhor the status quo. They know the same thinking which caused the problem or issue can’t be used to solve the issue. They see more possibilities than others see and they see a way for those possibilities to be to become reality.

These leaders challenge those on their team to not only think but to think differently. Exerting positive influence and inspiring change is the only way to be the driver of change. These leaders also allow themselves to be challenged and welcome working alongside partners and mentors who can help them see possibilities and potential.

You can’t do this leadership life alone. The most successful leaders and drivers of change will readily admit they didn’t become this way by isolating themselves. They have thinking partners and utilize them as often as necessary.

Who is your thinking partner? If no one comes to mind, or if they are not stimulating the thinking you need, let me know. I can honestly say I have helped leaders develop and realize the full potential of innovative ideas, resulting in hundreds of thousands (and in several cases millions) of dollars in real impact for their organizations. I am only an email or phone call away!

Best regards,

Bill

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These words were said by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, who recently passed away. Although this perspective came after a life-changing cancer diagnosis, it is true for all of us how life really is too short to spend time on things or with people who don’t bring us joy or fulfillment.

As a leader, you likely spend more time with the people you work with, both peers and staff, than you do with almost anyone else. Hopefully, you are working on important things which will make a difference in the lives of others.

But what if you aren’t? What if the things you are working on don’t seem to matter beyond basic financial stability, or have any long-term, positive impact in your organization? Sadly, I know more than a few leaders who are spending their time and lives in this way.

Life is too short to spend it unhappily.

If you or someone you know encounters this situation, what can be done? Consider the following:

1. Admit it – admit the situation is not what feeds your passion and admit your role in letting it get to this point. This is a hard message for some people to hear, yet I am a firm believer in the how we tolerate the situations we create. The first step toward changing something (a condition, situation or cause) is to acknowledge our part in allowing it to happen and to acknowledge we want a change.

2. Think about what changes you can make – because every problem or issue has at least one viable solution. Leaders are often capable of seeing more than most others see, including creative ways to overcome challenges. You are the one who must initiate the change you want to see.

Maybe the change is in your attitude. Our attitude is the one thing we are in full control of all the time. Maybe the change involves ditching a couple of habits which no longer serve you well.

3. Create a plan – without a plan, we waste time on things which don’t have any positive outcome. We may be busy, but not productive. The plan has to be connected to a desired outcome. While we won’t always get the specifics of the plan right on the first draft, we must persist with some kind of intentional action we believe will make a difference.

The important point to remember is how committing to a different, better outcome will drive you to take persistent action in the right direction.

 4. Find someone to help and encourage you – we all need encouragement and affirmation at least once in a while. We need someone—a coach, a mentor, or advisor of some kind—who has forged the trail ahead of us, to help us navigate through unfamiliar storms and show us the way. 

 As you look to identify the person who can help you, avoid selecting a family member. Despite their best intentions, family members often can’t see situations objectively, and may try to maintain the more comfortable status quo.

Change is hard and those we engage to help and encourage us must share our desire to be in a better, happier place. This requires doing things differently than you have done before. As Einstein said, “We can’t fix a problem with the same thinking that got us into the problem in the first place.” We need to heed his advice.

After his diagnosis, Paul Allen made some difficult choices (including to leave Microsoft), but ultimately spent both his money and the remaining 35 years of his life in ways that fulfilled his passions. He donated millions to a variety of philanthropic causes and also spent money and time on personal endeavors that gave him pleasure.

After reading this, you may realize I am describing a situation you or someone you know are experiencing. If so, I would be delighted to work with you or recommend an advisor who can be of help.

Life is too short to spend it unhappily.

Best regards,

Bill

PS, Please feel free to pass this on to colleagues and friends.

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You have heard about the importance of employee engagement. You have also heard “People don’t leave organizations, they leave relationships,” a sentiment that reflects the important connection between an employee and their immediate boss.

Gallup research indicates companies with engaged employees are more profitable, have more innovation, and have reduced employee turnover than companies whose employees are minimally engaged or disengaged.

The data is clear. The question is, “How engaged are the people on your team?”

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What does it mean to be “engaged”? Consider the following components.

1. Engaged employees demonstrate commitment – they are committed to the success of the organization. They understand the vision of the leader and actively decide to go along with the vision and see it through to completion.

2. Engaged employees demonstrate dedication – they go the extra mile and think of solutions and new approaches without being asked. They are the employees you can count on to complete the assignment or solve a problem even if it takes some overtime hours to do so. These dedicated employees also don’t complain about the hours they put in.

3. Engaged employees demonstrate enthusiasm and passion – they are lively; they actively participate in meetings; and they rally their co-workers to perform at high levels. They question the status-quo and show a real can-do attitude. They are optimistic, yet realistic as well.

 Companies with an engaged workforce are contagious – top performers want to join because they have heard such great things. Poor performers are not attracted because the work, the dedication, and the passion will be too much for them.

The engaged employee will also encourage their co-workers to step up their game or get out. This makes your job as the leader easier and more rewarding.

As former Campbell’s Soup CEO, Doug Conant, once said, “To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace.” Employee engagement is the key to activating a high performing workforce. Essentially, a high performing workforce needs a culture to support it and the leadership to drive it. Employee engagement is a key ingredient.

So, I ask again, how engaged are those on your team? On a scale of 1-10, do they:

•    Consistently demonstrate commitment?

•    Consistently demonstrate dedication?

•    Consistently demonstrate enthusiasm and passion?

If you have an 8 or less in any of these areas, you would be wise to ask yourself what you can do to create a more engaging environment. Since everything rises and falls on leadership, this is up to you, not the employees on your team.

If you would like to have a thinking partner for this topic, let me know – I’d be happy to help.

Best regards,

Bill

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