Invest in the talent you have, provide for your company’s future

As a business owner, you’re capable, competitive and competent. You’re agile with one eye on your competitors and the other on the latest industry trends. Yet, when it comes to identifying and developing future leaders within your organization, do you have more questions than answers?

As cofounders of Living as a Leader -- which provides development of leaders at all levels -- Nancy Lewis and Aleta Norris are well acquainted with guiding executives to develop their in-house talent. Read on for their valuable insights to help bolster your retention strategies.

Read on for their valuable insights to help bolster your retention strategies.

Read our new book, Live As A Leader: Tools and Inspiration to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Life. www.livingasaleader.com

What ROI can employers expect from providing leadership development?
ROI has been a blend of anecdotal and measured results over the years. While we have partnered with many customers to impact metrics such as retention, engagement, safety, or on-time delivery, they are equally appreciative of the anecdotal changes. Those include more confident leaders, shorter lines at HR, and employees who claim, ‘it just feels better around here.” The best performers will not stay with an organization where they feel disrespected, under-valued, and not set up to do great work….and to grow. Today, many employees are under-impressed by their leadership. Employees join companies and leave leaders.

How do you define a leader?
They play a role in maximizing the accountability and fulfillment of his or her employees. The best leaders find the delicate balance between accountability for results and inspiration for people. Leadership not only as a responsibility but a privilege — and one to not be taken lightly.

You founded your company, “Living as a Leader” 20 years ago – why have you made this your life’s work?
When Nancy and I made the decision to focus solely on developing leaders, we were interested in impacting both organizations and employees. We are passionate about improving the employee experience through effective leadership. Organizations need leaders who can attain maximum productivity and output while still having their workforce feel cared for and appreciated. This is not always intuitive for leaders and requires continuous improvement of their skills, tools, and strategies.

How (or have you) seen leadership competencies change over the years and with new generations in the workforce?
We have seen a migration toward more informality and a stronger regard for the individual employee.

A few examples:

1. The annual performance review has been replaced by the continuous coaching approach where employees have more regular, informal conversations with their leaders.
2. Respect and empathy have become more critical. These involve having regard for the preferences and individual circumstances of employees and seeking to honor them where possible.
3. Humility is replacing hierarchy and chain of command. Employees want to work with leaders who don’t see themselves as the most important people in the room. They prefer relationships and environments that are informal with open doors for conversations.
   
   

What do leaders struggle with most?

No matter how seasoned a leader is or their level within an organization, the most common struggle is managing the performance of others through continuous conversations around defining expectations, monitoring performance, and providing ongoing feedback. Another challenge is finding the time to intentionally lead others. Busy leaders often don’t have leadership on their “to do” list.

Do you think there is a such a thing as a “natural born leader”?

We are often asked this question. It falls in line with “Are leaders born or made?” The most accurate answer is both. Some individuals are born with a strong orientation toward relationships, while others make work their priority. We think of each of these things as a home base. Leaders with a relationship orientation struggle to hold employees accountable – to be, ‘hard on them.’ While leaders orientated toward work struggle with the need for conversations, feedback, and to get to know employees on a personal level. Regardless of their ‘home base,’ we haven’t found a leader who doesn’t need their skills developed and honed. It is similar to athletes or musicians -- although born with a greater talent than others, they still need a coach.

How can leaders be most effective managing a remote team?
With the migration toward work from anywhere the job allows, nearly 60% of employees want some flexibility. Managing remote teams effectively is a multi-faceted challenge:

1. Know the preferences of your employees for their blend of work-from-home/work-in-the-office.
   
2. Be intentional about communication methods and frequency (both team and individual)
3. ‘Contract’ with each employee for frequency and method of contact with you as the leader, and do not use your own self as the barometer.
4. Do not be afraid to hold employees accountable. Ask, “How can I do my part to ensure things are on track without frustrating you in the process?’ Your activities as a leader are not about if you do them but rather how.