I am presently delivering Bee Engaged workshops in many different countries to the leaders of a large multi-national organisation. I am visiting countries from Thailand, India, USA, Mexico, UK, Indonesia, China, South Africa, Nigeria and France to name a few. Each of the sessions has difference challenges from a language and cultural point of view. However, what is prevalent and strikingly obvious, is the passion, energy, enthusiasm and determination of the leaders at each location to help their employees develop and become better leaders and better people. These leaders are a pleasure work with.
Great leaders engaged their teams for better results. They allow autonomy but with 100% accountability. They understand that change is part of their day job. They also understand that in order to develop a change and innovation culture, they need to engage people. Great leaders do not focus solely on results, they do not focus on the head count, they focus on the heart count. Great leaders show that they care and that what employees do matters. This builds trust. Trust improves employee engagement. Engaged employees produce better results. Great leaders understand that people are not human resources they are human beings.
The problem is that some leaders (or shall we say people who think they are leaders) use authority to get things done. Authority might get things done in the short term but a great leader knows that sometimes the best leaders do not even have any authority. What great leaders understand is that leadership is a choice they make, not a place they sit.
Bad leaders give bad orders
Good leaders give good orders
Great leaders give no orders
Quite simply, leading someone is a privilege that carries with it responsibilities to lead people well, and when leaders do that, they can profoundly affect the lives of the employees for the better.
Leadership is the stewardship of the lives entrusted to you
If you want better results, if you want to implement change and make change stick, if you want an innovative culture in your organisation then engage your employees. And remember just because you call it employee engagement does not mean it is employee engagement.
At the end of the day
it is all about beeing the best leader you can bee
Paul Rigby co-author of The Bee Book and facilitator of Bee Ready For Change , Bee Engaged , Bee Innovative and Bee A Great Leader workshops
