The Fish Always Stinks At The Head
In the second half of 2021, more than 20 million Americans uttered the words every manager dreads hearing: “I quit!” Thus sparked this movement that people are calling “the great resignation.” I’m a bit put out by the fact that it’s taken millions of Americans to leave their jobs for leadership teams and upper management to wonder what’s up. Plenty of folks inside corporations with not-so-awesome environments and not-so-awesome managers were saying “I quit” before the pandemic. Each company, no matter their size or how many employees uttered that phrase, should have tuned in and asked themselves, “Why?”
It wouldn’t have taken long to find the answer. Dissatisfaction is always the driver behind people who quit. Could be because of a toxic workplace culture or lack of engagement. But the #1 reason people resign is bad management. People don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses. So, if you’re one of those bosses reading this, I’m sorry if that stung a little but it’s the truth. As I like to say, the fish stinks at the head.
Want to soften that burn? I’ve got good news.
Good leadership can be learned because the whole idea that leaders are born not made is b.s. You know what else? Being a good manager doesn’t have to be as hard as you think it is.
You want to know how to become a super leader? First – don’t throw money at the problem. Money rarely makes up for what your employee is feeling dissatisfied about. If they are feeling undervalued, unrecognized, or uncared for, no amount of money is going to resolve that.
Bad managers are like bean counters. I have this person, this person, and this person. I’ve got this project, this project, and this project. It’s like they’re sitting at their desk just counting shit and checking stuff off a list or making sure things get done or money is made… But there’s no heart in any of that. It’s all just logistics, math, formulas. No wonder it occurs to so many bad managers that if we just throw money at our unhappy employees that will solve the problem.
You have to get out of your head. This isn’t a logic-problem to be solved. So, don’t throw money at them. I’ll tell you what you should throw.
Throw your whole damn heart.
And, no, it’s not about being touchy-feely or mushy-gushy or whatever else is popping into your mind making you all cringey. It’s about seeing and hearing people. At the end of the day, that’s what we all want – to be seen and heard. To be valued. Truthfully, it doesn’t take much. A little bit can go a loooonng way. I mean just checking in with your team on a Zoom call before you launch into business is a great first step and it doesn't cost you anything but a few moments of time.
Here are the three superpowers great leaders need.
1 - CARE ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYEES
Great leaders want to know about their people. They ask about how they are, not just at work, but at home. They are genuinely interested in what is happening with their team members – how they’re feeling, what’s happening at home, what kinds of things they like to do. It’s funny, but employees like to be seen as a WHOLE PERSON and not just as someone who clocks in to make a greater machine (read: the company) work.
2 - SHOW EMPATHY
When a team member shares what’s happening and it’s less than awesome, great leaders empathize. They actively listen and reflect back what they’ve heard, identifying what it sounds like their team member is going through. It’s not asking a question for the sake of asking or going through the motions not truly caring about the answer. It’s holding space for that person to be wherever they’re at in the moment and to make a good honest shot at responding in a way that they feel heard.
3 - BE CURIOUS
Great leaders know their team members so well that when something is amiss they don’t just jump to conclusions or make assumptions. They get curious. So-and-so didn’t get that report finished on time and usually they are early and never late. Rather than being a blow-hard about it, be curious. “You’re not typically late with that report. Anything going on I should know about?”
We are all capable of learning how to do these things so that we can become great, impactful leaders. And now is the time to hone these skills. We can’t continue to run our businesses or lead inside our organizations the ways we have been. Those old models are just that – OLD.
People are showing us right now that they won’t tolerate the way things used to be. They can’t. The pandemic has broken open Pandora’s box. These things were already happening but add on the financial stress or family stress or any other kind of stress that the pandemic has unleashed and now more than ever people are reaching their limits and demanding for more and better things from their workplaces and their bosses.
In my opinion they’re not asking for much. They’re asking to be seen as humans. And the companies who have fared well regardless of the pandemic are those who already figured out how to do that. To see their individual employees each as whole people. To see them, care about them, value them.
So if you want to be a great leader that people stick around for, this is your invitation to step up to the plate and start approaching your team with care, empathy, and curiosity. Can you do that? Will you?
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Ready to impact your workforce’s life AND your company’s bottom line? Want to be a better manager? That’s where I come in. My strengths-based training helps executives help their teams by empowering them to do more of what they’re good at so you can all shine brighter. Book a call with me to learn more.
