Towards the end of June a poll carried out by Harris on behalf of Interact revealed that 91% of employees believed that communication issues were hampering employee/leader relationships. The survey of 1,000 US workers in fact revealed a startling lack of concern for employee well-being or engagement on the part of leaders.
Top of the list at 63% came not recognising employee achievements with not giving clear direction and not making time for employee meetings following shortly behind. A leader may set the vision and values for an organisation but unless they also take time to engage hearts and minds then it is highly unlikely their ambitions will come to fruition. Inspiring and encouraging are every bit as important as modelling the way.
Put simply, those who lead are in a position of trust; customers trust they will create a great product, investors trust that they will deliver good returns, and employees trust that they will be led in a fair and equitable manner. When leaders set themselves apart, when they prioritise their own sense of importance over the welfare of the business then in all honesty they are not displaying the characteristics of great leadership. Recognising achievements, simply saying thank you, costs little but it can have a huge impact in the way that an employee perceives the business and its leadership.
