Utweets
Your role as a leader is to transform the lives of people that have been put in your care. Destinies are tied to you when you are leading people, and you must not play games with their lives. As a leader, you must always ask the question: “What will I be remembered for?” The answer to that question is your legacy. Legacy is what you leave behind after you have long left the position....READ THE FULL CONTENT FROM THE SOURCE | READ THE FULL CONTENT FROM THE SOURCE
When Howard Schultz returned to Starbucks as CEO in 2008, the company was facing its most significant crisis. He made people his focus by prioritizing employee welfare and benefits. He believed that happy customers are the outcome of happy employees, so he focused on creating a corporate culture that valued employees or “partners” as he preferred to call them.
Instead of focusing solely on financials, he made an unprecedented decision: he suspended all store openings and gathered 10,000 managers for a comprehensive retraining program. This wasn’t just about coffee; it was about people. This people-centric approach has been instrumental to shaping Starbuck’s culture and success.
Leadership is not complete when it does not care for people. You are not leading when you are not concerned about your team members. Their well-being should also be part of your stay awake. You will be better remembered not for your credentials or your riches but how well you cared and showed concern for your team members. How well did their lives and results improve under your leadership? Leadership is a sacred trust. You are not managing resources; you are developing human potential. Human beings are not things that should be managed, rather they are assets that should be groomed and nurtured.
Anne Mulcahy’s leadership at Xerox made her the unexpected hero. She took over as CEO in 2001 when the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, but her people-centric approach helped turn the company around. Her approach wasn’t about financial engineering, but human engineering.
She personally met with hundreds of employees at different locations, listened to their concerns, and gathered feedback and perspectives on what was wrong with the company. This helped to build trust and fostered a sense of community within the organization. Her leadership style of care for the people played a significant role in Xerox turnaround making her a shining example of a CEO who prioritized people over pure profit.
Leaders must avoid using people. You are in that position to make them. Support them to grow. Shape them into the great form you desire for them. Items are to be used. People are to be made. Satya Nadella was able to transform Microsoft when he became CEO. He didn’t just change Microsoft’s business strategy; he transformed its human strategy. With his understanding of the profound impact of empathy, he prioritized employee well-being and encouraged work-life balance.
He also implemented mental health support programs, support for employees’ personal growth and he made sure people were trained in emotional intelligence for leadership development.
Research has shown that leaders who prioritize employee well-being experience 37% higher sales, 31% higher productivity, 51% lower turnover rates and a significant improvement in innovation metrics. Other metrics include improved employee satisfaction and better decision making by the CEO. All these create a positive productive work environment that drives business results and growth.
Three major ways leaders can transform the lives of their team members:
• Active Listening: Creating safe space to discuss personal and professional challenges.
• Personalized Support: Understanding individual’s aspirations and supporting them based on peculiar personalities. Ensure every interaction is an opportunity to build confidence and inspire growth. Demonstrate genuine care.
• Transparent Communication: Creating trust through openness.
A leader desiring to leave a legacy must understand that legacy is not measured by quarterly profits, market capitalization or personal wealth but by the number of lives transformed, the amount of potential unleashed in your team members, the careers nurtured, and the number of individuals empowered.
Traditional leadership asked: “How can employees serve the organization?”
Modern leadership asks: “How can the organization serve its employees?”
Leaders must remember that at the end of their career, their team members won’t remember their titles or achievements. Rather, they will remember how you made them feel.
Did you use them, or did you help them become the best versions of themselves?
As Maya Angelou profoundly stated: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Your legacy is written not in balance sheets, but in the hearts and lives of those you’ve led. Oluwole Dada is the General Manager at SecureID Limited, Africa’s largest smart card manufacturing plant in Lagos, Nigeria..…READ THE FULL CONTENT FROM THE SOURCE
