Of course, you do…everyone wants to be the best they can be at their jobs, right? By being the best you get noticed, you get promoted and your options increase.
I love to ask questions, but even better I love to hear answers! Here is a question you can ask yourself. Who are the leaders in this organization? You know who the managers are because of their titles, For example John Q. Public – Operations Manager. Clearly, John is a manager…is he a leader too?
When I ask employees about leaders I normally get the name of the CEO or President. Hopefully, that is a correct answer but the employees I ask typically act as if that person is the only leader in the organization.
When I continue to probe I find that most employees are unaware of the difference between a being a manager and being a leader. So, let’s look at some differences.
Managers typically manage people and processes. They make sure people are doing what they are supposed to be doing, following procedures and using all the tools available to them so that their work is done correctly and efficiently.
Leaders have vision and inspire others to engage in that vision and carry it forward. Leaders make sure the company stays true to its mission and the “Brand” stays consistent.
Can you see that there is room for more than one leader in an organization if they share a common vision?
For some reason, in our society, most of us believe that there can only be one leader. This probably comes from the way we are “programmed” as kids… class president, captain of the team, head coach, etc. We may even continue to solidify these beliefs in our adult life… look around your life outside of work, there are many singular leaders. The president of the HOA, community watch leader, president of this club, president of that club…
I don’t subscribe to ‘One vision, one leader’ – it’s outdated. Today, ‘One vision, many leaders’ is the path forward – this is an engaged workforce.
If you share the vision of the organization you are engaged and employee engagement has been proven to increase productivity.
Being an engaged employee is also more fun than getting up every morning just to get a paycheck – you have the feeling of belonging, being respected, appreciated and recognized. You are treated fairly, you are trained and prepared for everything you will encounter and you are part of company communication.
I am obligated to issue this warning – employee engagement is contagious. Once you and your organization create a culture of employee engagement, you will not be able to stop it.
Employee engagement will grow at a very rapid rate and productivity will increase, smiles on faces will be the norm and complaining will decrease dramatically. In addition, things like tardiness and absenteeism will decline, people will enjoy coming to work and looking forward to getting things done.