Photo courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

LinkedIn Pulse - November 30, 2017

By Brigette Hyacinth
Author: The Future of Leadership: Rise of Automation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence


I lost one of my managers a couple of years ago and I can’t seem to forget him or the legacy he left behind.
He was one of my earliest examples of true leadership. I often refer to him as "The Memorable Leader."

Brigette Hyacinth Photo courtesy of LinkedIn

I had a family emergency and before I could finish explaining to him the situation.
He said, "And you are still standing here talking to me? Why aren't you out the door yet? I'll cover for you."
I smiled then went to my desk, took my belongings and left.
Thereafter, he had my full commitment.

Courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Here are five qualities of memorable leaders:

1. Integrity & Authenticity go hand in hand. Joseph was honest with employees even though this trait was sometimes unpopular with top management. He often took the slack for his team. If leadership is not authentic, then what is it?

2. Humility. True leaders always aim to serve rather than be served. Being humble makes you more approachable to your followers and allows you to create an environment of open communication and more effective feedback.

3. Empathy plays a critical role in one’s ability to be a successful leader. It sharpens your "people acumen" and allows leaders to develop and maintain relationships with those they lead. Leaders that possess this trait always make time for people.

4. Communication Skills - Great leaders are able to communicate their vision in such a way that motivates their team. They are great communicators; quick to listen and slow to speak. They possess high emotional intelligence skills.

5. Inspirational - Joseph didn't need a title to get us to complete tasks. He had our full support. Words such as "Good work team," "You are the best”, “I trust your judgement” were at the top of his dictionary. Team spirit was high during his reign.

Courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Managers are forgotten but true leaders live on in the hearts and minds of followers.

Sometimes I can still picture Joseph walking through the office, greeting staff on mornings, and might even give me a little nod or pat on the back.
Those were the special moments I still hold dear. It doesn’t take much to create those special moments with your team.

Photo courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Good bosses are few and far in between, but if and when you get one, really appreciate them.


Why Employees Come First, Customers Second, and Shareholders Third.

Employees are your most valuable resource.
Yet many companies ignore and treat their employees poorly.

Our system has fallen into a self-reinforcing command loop construct as follows: Increase shareholder value at all costs without regard for the human factor.

Photo courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Sadly, if you do not cure the cancer in the root of the tree, not only with the branches and leaves die; but so will the tree.

Unhappy employees cost companies billions of dollars each year in lost revenues, settlements and other damages.
The loss of revenue can send even established companies into financial distress, with some even filing for bankruptcy.

Photo courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Financial Losses can result from:

Decreased Productivity:
According to research conducted by Gallup, disengaged employees cost companies $450-to-$550 billion in lost productivity each year as a result of poor performance and high absenteeism.

Courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Employee Negligence:
When employees are put first, they feel a sense of ownership to the business.
Such employees will always take the initiative to solve problems before they get worse.
On the other hand, an unhappy employee will just move along and not care as an issue escalates.
It is also common for dissatisfied employees to neglect to complete tasks or make mistakes. This leads to poor quality control standards, unsafe products and dangers to consumers. Cases of serious injury or death, caused by company negligence often results in hefty settlements being paid out to those affected.

Tarnished Reputation:
Employees interact with customers and could say anything negative about the company’s culture, products and services.
The actions of one individual can bring down a company or uplift it. In an age of social media, individual employee actions can have dire effects on an organization.
Video accounts of poor customer service experienced by a consumer can go viral on Facebook with similar hashtags on Twitter calling for a boycott of the company.
This story can then be picked up by mainstream news bringing negative press resulting in companies having to settle lawsuits. 

Photo courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Employees are the branches of the tree that makes a company grow.

Research has found an economic link between employee satisfaction and company financial performance.

Employees who genuinely like coming to work every day may have a positive impact on a company's stock performance.

A happy workplace culture does translate into better stock returns. Happy Employees = Happy Customers = Happy Shareholders.

Courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Employees are your best brand ambassadors.
Your brand position is determined by the customer's experience.
The experience is delivered by your front line employees.
If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the business.
Your employees know your customers best.

They use your internal tools and systems every day.
They have the answers on how to improve customer service and your products.
They have the solutions on how to improve systems which can save money by driving efficiencies.

Photo courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Employees are the backbone of any organization. In order to remain strong in an industry, employees have to be kept happy.

Happy employees are always willing to do more, they will go to great lengths to help the company grow.

Charity begins at home.

If you want to get the best out of your employees - Put them first.


Check out my New Book

The Future of Leadership: Rise of Automation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Photo courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

This book offers the most comprehensive view of what is taking place in the world of AI and emerging technologies, and gives valuable insights that will allow you to successfully navigate the tsunami of technology that is coming our way.

https://www.amazon.com/Future-Leadership-Automation-Artificial-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0767Q5RMM/  

Photo courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Courtesy of Brigette Hyacinth

Source: LinkedIn Pulse

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/  



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