Imagine this scenario: your company’s sales team has just closed an important deal, and they’re all high-fiving each other in the office. You walk in and congratulate them on their victory, and as you’re congratulating them, you notice that one member of the team hasn’t joined in the celebration. This person most likely does not feel like they have an emotionally invested leader.
We’ve all heard stories about companies that are crippled by office politics and petty squabbles. It’s a sad, but true reality. But what does it say about a leader when he or she is capable of building a culture that promotes positive relations among team members? A strong leader will encourage his or her employees to be as invested in their work as they are—and one way to do that is by showing that you care about each person’s goals, skills, talents, and ambitions.
Come to work early. Stay late. And make sure you’re doing so without anyone noticing you’re sticking around for a longer than usual. Look for every opportunity you can to help your employees better themselves, whether that means giving them one-on-one time or pointing out what they’ve done right during team meetings.
As a leader, you’re in charge of your employees’ performance. If they aren’t sure how their work fits into their vision or your company’s goals, you could lose them quickly. Your team members must know how much they are valued and how their efforts impact your overall success. When they believe in what they do and understand why, it drives them to push forward even when times get tough.
The idea that everyone is a leader can be traced back to Peter Drucker, who once wrote: There is only one valid definition of a business purpose: to create a customer. However, it’s not enough to just tell employees they’re in charge—an emotionally invested leader requires action and instills his or her values through demonstrating them daily. If you want your team members to feel empowered at work, start by surrounding yourself with people who want to be heard.
Employees are more likely to stay with a company if they feel like they have been heard. It’s important to take time to actually listen to what your employees have to say and not just respond with a stock response or some generic advice. You will make a big difference in their level of loyalty if you are invested in them as people first and employees second.
In order to lead effectively, you need to be emotionally invested in your team members. No one wants to follow a leader who doesn’t care about them or their ideas. People also want leaders that care about what they are doing at work and why they are there. There will be people who feel like they just don’t fit in with what their employer is trying to accomplish and without a positive leader that has empathy for these individuals, those people may not stay with the company long term.
Here’s a neat article on Emotionally Invested Leaders
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