Investing in the right leadership development strategy impacts employee experience, brand image and business performance. It all starts with a growth mindset for your business, teams and leadership.
Managers “make it happen” within an organization. Because they work closely with employees at all levels, they often navigate challenges more effectively than C-suite executives who are more removed from teams’ day-to-day tasks. Skilled leaders motivate teams and nurture company culture, which increases employee retention and attracts great talent.
Identify current and emerging leaders at all levels and structure long-term support for their own growth. If you take care of them, they’ll help take care of your teams.
1. Leading the organization with confidence
Leaders set the tone for company culture. How they host meetings, how they gather employee feedback, and how they deal with wins and losses. They also guide employees by example and action.
Strong leadership instills a sense of confidence in all team members. For example, leading a meeting with transparent communication. The positive impact? Employees better understand the organization’s direction, vision and core values, as well as leadership's buy-in.
Use recognition and incentive tools
- Recognition: Employee recognition tied to your organization’s specific core values reinforces positive behaviors, helping team members embody the best of your culture.
- Incentives: Employee incentives, events or awards motivate teams to hit and exceed known performance goals.
- Check-ins: Routine check-ins with direct reports encourage more open discussion and innovation.
Everything combined creates a more connected culture that serves everyone.
- Employees understand their mission and feel supported by management.
- Mid-level management understands what support employees need to achieve their goals.
Related: Watch our on-demand webinar to learn how to improve employee engagement with a connected culture approach.
Become a proactive decision-maker
Strategic leaders have to think ahead. Which goals to prioritize this quarter? Who should get the next promotion? What key hire will be needed next?
Leaders need to stay true to the company mission and maintain employee engagement. Yet, maintaining a connected culture isn't different from staying on top of goals. Mentor programs can help management feel connected and help them gain new insights. Tools like check-ins, employee incentives, and surveys build up the employee experience too.
2. Leading to empower and build employee engagement
Strong leaders create spaces where team members feel welcomed, known, included and empowered. Organizations rely on leadership to moderate the work environment and how their employees show up.
- How do leaders encourage employees to speak up during a meeting?
- Is it always the same person leading? Or are they rotating hosts?
- Does the manager ask direct or open questions to encourage conversation?
Create a psychologically safe work environment
When teams feel safe at work, employee satisfaction increases and so does the employee experience. In fact, teams with psychological safety have reduced turnover by 27% and 50% more productivity.
Creating a safe work environment encourages team members to be vulnerable and take part at work more fully. That might be speaking up at a big meeting or raising a concern. It can also look like offering constructive feedback to a teammate.
Safe spaces make for more comfortable teams. Team members feel supported and happy, which grows trust between managers and direct reports. It also grows trust between your employees and your brand.
Related: How to build employee trust and other top takeaways from the 2024 Great Place To Work For All Summit.
Make space for open conversation
Candid dialogue introduces more opportunities to brainstorm and see an employee in action. It increases innovation and creativity and gives managers more of an understanding of that employee's work, strengths and struggles.
Reduce and manage conflict
Whether team members are hybrid, remote or in-person, conflict resolution becomes easier when leaders know how to quickly adapt and problem solve—and teach their teams to do the same. Rather than shying away from conflict, leaders can use (and better develop) listening skills to address issues directly without losing compassion. It also helps build team buy-in, so employees feel supported when another conflict arises.
Understand employee's recognition preferences
Employee recognition is a powerful tool. Ask each employee how they like to receive recognition—publicly, handwritten notes, email, etc. When you recognize them in a way that matters to them, it builds confidence and helps them feel empowered, which leads to brand loyalty. (And what organization doesn’t want to retain their best people?)
3. Leading with a growth mindset creates opportunities
Above all else, effective leaders have a growth mindset. And it starts with themselves.
Effective leaders leave space in their styles and personal goals to drive their success. That might mean helping an employee get that promotion. It could also be increasing employee retention after high attrition.
Ask for feedback
Happier teams in a safe workspace are more likely to honestly answer employee surveys. Being open to honest feedback sets leaders up for the best growth. And while accepting feedback can be hard, your leaders should already embody this skill. (If they don’t, it’s a sign to invest in leadership development.)
Leaders can also ask for team improvement feedback to gain insight into what the team needs to thrive, like:
- Better workflows
- Clear communication
- More support (in other words, additional team members!)
It's up to leadership to act on the feedback, create the action plan and set the tone. Triage the feedback into priority lists of immediate action and ongoing improvement.
Prioritize ongoing leadership training
Find training that suits specific roles and individual career goals.
- Executive coaching
- Leadership development courses
- Certifications
- Mentor groups
Stronger leadership means more connected teams
Leaders make all the difference in fostering a strong culture where team members feel supported, cared for and welcomed. It leads to a happier employee experience, stronger employee retention and a more attractive business for top talent.
Investing in your leadership development strategy sets your organization apart. Learn how to create a more connected culture with the right leadership tools.