Your 3 Behaviours that Demotivate Your Team
Summary: Being a Star leader is about making your team feel accepted and cared for. Being compassionate towards your employees, giving them the right feedback in the right way, and creating an emotional bond, is how a Star leader truly inspires their team.
A senior client recently shared, “When I think of demotivated employees, the one thing that comes to mind is – underperformance. I wonder how lack of motivation is one of the most prevalent reasons for people walking out the door, come first opportunity?” Sound familiar?
I’ve been hearing this same concern from many of the leaders we coach, specifically from leaders who are working with their teams virtually. So, what are the top 3 reasons why employees don’t really leave jobs but leave their managers?
Taking Employee Accomplishments For Granted
A lot of people have the notion that congratulating someone or rewarding them is equivalent to sending the person on an ego trip; that people inherently can’t handle kudos while still being humble. Creeping into our workplaces, it has now taken the shape of an attitude problem. Instead of worrying about employees retaining their humility, managers should engage in lauding the hard work they put in. An important trait of a Star leader is how kind they are; how generously they acknowledge the contributions of their team. It goes on to show how they pay attention to their individual work and recognize their accomplishments.
Taking Poor Performance For Granted
‘A chain is only as strong as its weakest link’ stands true for business situations as well. In a way, I am doing a 180 from the previous point by saying that ‘kudos’ is not the only feedback. It is also very important for a manager to not let weak links exist without proper consequences. But, in another way, I’m also emphasizing what I said before. A true leader would always say everything that needs to be said, and that applies to letting an employee know about their weak performance, but not without being considerate towards them. Your feedback should always be infused with patience, kindness, and understanding towards your employees.
Taking Employees’ Lives For Granted
Gone are the days when creating an equilibrium between personal and professional was simply about never bringing work home. And even in those days, there was nothing simple about it! But now, with ‘work from home’ fast evolving from a lucrative option to a stress-raising compulsion, empathizing with employees and being compassionate is no longer a choice for today’s managers; it’s essentially a part of their job. A significant part of having a great executive presence is about how you inspire trust in your employees. It is about being kind to them and invoking their admiration through their actions.
Impact on Leadership
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner says that compassionate leadership is about taking the time to put yourself in another person’s shoes. Compassion will not only help you impact your deliverables but also help you achieve organizational goals. As a Star leader, you have to see the bigger picture. You have to help your employees reach their potential, while supporting the goals of the organization. Mary Bara, CEO at General Motors and one of the most powerful women in the world, who has achieved great heights by exuding a kind and warm leadership style. Research highlights that kindness has been proven to have an impact on people’s happiness and happier people are 12% more productive.
Would you like to see your team motivated and enthusiastic all the time?
3 Immediately Applicable Action Steps
- While giving unfavourable feedback, make sure that you create an emotional bond and safe space.
- Be genuinely kind to your employees.
- Schedule 15 minutes daily and encourage and motivate your team.
References
1- Compassionate Leadership Is Necessary — but Not Sufficient. (2021, January 19). Harvard Business Review.https://hbr.org/2020/12/
compassionate-leadership-is-necessary-but-not-sufficient
Connect, Then Lead. (2014, November 2). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2013/07/connect-then-lead
2- Good Leadership Is an Act of Kindness. (2020, November 1). HBS Working Knowledge. https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/good-leadership-is-an-act-of-kindness
3- Marsh, E. (n.d.). There is strength in kindness: why kind leadership matters. Emily. Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.t-three.com/thinking-space/blog/kind-leadership-matters
Authored by Coach Vikram
Vikram is an Executive Presence Coach who supports CXOs and senior leaders to make an impact, influence, and lead with ease. He advises C-level leaders and teams to strengthen business performance through their executive presence and star leadership.
Vikram works closely with Boards and senior leaders to align leadership needs with strategy. His forte is his ability to develop trusted partnerships with senior leaders at some of the most recognized companies in the world. Vikram coaches senior leaders to draw upon their best selves, while growing their business and their leadership capabilities.
Vikram and his team have developed a groundbreaking model of executive presence and an Executive Presence Index (EPI) Assessment, the first frequency based, scientifically validated tool to measure executive presence.
Connect with him if you want practical and immediately applicable strategies to accelerate results, develop your people, and influence others to make a positive difference in your organization.
