The leaders across your organization can drive your organization forward or they can destroy its goals and ambitions. In fact, finding and developing great leaders for your organization are always the most important and relevant things you should be doing as a learning and development professional.
Research highlighted by Office Vibe shows that while 89% of employers think employees leave their organization for more money, only 12% do, and 75% of people claim to have left an organization because of their bosses. That means that most people who leave your organization will do so because of its leadership.
As you work to hire and develop your organization’s leaders, here are three timeless qualities that effective and successful leaders own that you’ll want to keep in mind.
1. They Show Their Employees Appreciation and Know Them as Individuals
One study revealed that 79% of people who quit their jobs cite “lack of appreciation” as a key reason for why they decide to leave. People do not leave organizations or companies; they leave other people and bosses who take them and their work for granted.
Good leaders, regardless of their age or title, will always thank their employees for their hard work and will try to reward efforts that go above and beyond typical duties outlined in a job description. And they will always get to know their employees as individuals and learn what they care about and what motivates them.
2. They Encourage Their Employees to Take Time Off
According to one Glassdoor study, American employees forfeit nearly 50% of their paid vacation time every year and are highly likely to work while they’re technically on vacation. And they do this because they fear falling behind and because they aren’t truly encouraged to take time off.
But good leaders know that overworked and tired employees aren’t as productive or as engaged as employees who take time off. They encourage their employees to have a fulfilling personal life outside of work and respect their employee’s time off by not calling their employees at home or scheduling important meetings while their employees are away.
3. They Positively Recognize Their Employees
Receiving recognition is the number one thing that inspires employees to do their best work, even above receiving higher pay, a promotion, more autonomy, or more training, according to one study.
In addition, more employees are engaged when they receive regular recognition from their bosses and generate more ideas on a regular basis, and they’re more likely to have positive views of the organization for which they work.
Leaders who are successful realize that without their teams remaining inspired to do good work, they will never be able to do or accomplish much. They constantly find ways to praise the hard work of others and do so publicly in front of their peers, and never take full credit for the work their teams complete.
In tomorrow’s post, we’lll cover the six additional timeless qualities that effective and successful leaders own.
Interested in developing your current staff into becoming future leaders? Join Joan Peterson and Gregg Thompson, of Bluepoint Leadership, as they present the breakout session, HIPO Development Programs: How to Shape High-Potential Talent Through Customized Experiences, at TalentCon 2019. Click here to learn more, or to register, today!
