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Good people leaders positively influence company culture and encourage employee + organizational growth.
1 in 2 employees leave a job because of their manager, according to a survey measuring the engagement of 27 million employees. —Gallup
Have you ever worked for a great leader? Think about that experience. How did it impact your career?
I’ve been lucky to work for many great leaders, all of whom helped shape the professional I am today. When faced with this question, I think back to the first great leader I had the privilege to work for. It was very early in my career and I believe to this day her mentorship put me on the path to where I am now.
That’s the thing about great leaders. They have the ability to shape your professional career, and, at least for me, my personal values. She taught me a lot about how I want to approach my work + my colleagues to get things done. How do great leaders do it, though? Do you ever find yourself thinking about what it was about their leadership style that made them truly great?
Kelsey Ley, company culture + HR strategist, is back again for her final installment on the role people leaders play in shaping company culture. And, as a bonus, if you’re a people leader in your organization, make sure you read to the end for a discount code and details about her upcoming program—The Art of Leading People-Centered Teams (you won’t want to miss it—I’ll be attending, so please join me!).
They value communication. Great leaders communicate with their teams often. Whether it’s on-the-job feedback, scheduling (and keeping) regular meetings with individual team members, or encouraging intra-team communication and comradery, great leaders value the role communication plays in creating a positive team culture.
They help team members understand their value and encourage their growth. As a team member, it can be incredibly frustrating to do your best work and not understand how it impacted the greater good. Great leaders take time to help their team understand the important role each person plays in achieving results. They also go a step further and help their team understand what it takes to get to the next level—and encourage and support their growth to get there.
They practice what they preach. Actions speak louder than words. Great leaders reflect the values they want their team to embody. They understand that what they say, how they say it and how they react sets the tone for their team.
They hold people accountable. Remember group projects in school (*groans*)? It seems like there was always one or two people doing the bulk of the work, while the other group members skated by. Great leaders don’t allow that mentality on their team. Everyone is expected to pull their weight, and team members are held accountable if they don’t.
They listen first and speak second. Great leaders are often the ones doing the least amount of talking. But when they speak, their words carry weight because they clearly articulate the vision in a way that pulls all of the ideas in a room or meeting together, so everyone feels like they were part of the solution.
They are solution-oriented. Speaking of solutions, great leaders are solution-seekers. When issues arise, deadlines are in jeopardy of not being met or clients aren’t happy with the work, they don’t complain about it. Instead, they get to work solving the problem—and they expect the same of their team.
They care about their team members’ well being. Teams are made up of people who have lives outside of work. Great leaders take time to get to know the people behind the work, so they can understand what makes individuals tick and encourage the best out of them.
They hunger for growth. Good leaders aren’t satisfied with the status quo. They want to keep learning and growing for the good of the company and the team. They seek out learning opportunities and want their team to do the same.
And #8 is a great segue into a great learning opportunity for people leaders! I’m so excited to launch a 7-week program called The Art of Leading People-Centered Teams for people leaders who are looking for actionable strategies to:
Improve employee engagement
Build psychological safety
Increase team productivity
As a thank you for being a guest on Modern Moxie, I’m offering a $50 off discount code to all Modern Moxie readers. Just enter code MDRNMOXIE at checkout. >>Click here<<
Thanks so much for being a part of this series with me, Modern Moxie readers! I look forward to being back in the future!
-- Kelsey
Kelsey Ley is a Company Culture Strategist & Leadership Coach. Over the past 10 years as an educator, artist, and program director, she's managed 200+ people in non-profit organizations, start-ups, and small businesses. Through organizational development, systems thinking, and the design of collaboration, Kelsey's current work focuses on building people-centered teams through virtual trainings for individuals and company-wide engagements.
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