The Modern Leadership Issue - 31

06
DO EMPLOYEES FEEL A SENSE OF
AUTHENTIC, CONSISTENT CONNECTION?
Research shows that connection and belonging are crucial for health, well-being, and organizational performance.2
Since connections are formed through meaningful and authentic relationships, leaders can provide the space for employees
to cultivate meaningful relationships. Leaders who " show up " with genuine vulnerability as full human beings with needs,
challenges, and emotions are helping to cultivate an environment of trust and human connection that can ripple throughout
the organization.
Leaders also have a critical role in cultivating a culture of inclusivity by helping individuals feel valued for who they are.
This involves celebrating differences, actively seeking diverse perspectives, and ensuring that all employees have equal
opportunities to contribute and succeed.
Beyond interpersonal connection, employees also need to feel that the organization's words and actions are
connected and aligned. If employees experience inconsistency between what's said and what's done, there can
be detrimental impacts on trust, employee motivation and engagement, and organizational outcomes. Leaders
must " walk the talk " and demonstrate behaviors and mindsets that are aligned to the organization's core values
and beliefs. This means addressing inconsistencies in their employees' behaviors through candid feedback
and open conversation, as well as advocating for changes to systems, structures, policies, and ways of
working when there is misalignment.
CONTINUE THE EXPLORATION
Leaders play a monumental role in cultivating a thriving organization. To understand how
people are experiencing their work, ask six core questions aligned to the needs of healthy,
high-performing teams and organizations. Through assessment, identify where to bolster
leadership so the organization can thrive. Knowing that assessment is only the first step,
use assessment results to draw insights and build an action plan to fortify and improve key
areas of growth. The cycle of assessing, learning, and improving is ongoing for leaders who
care about helping their teams and organizations thrive.
2 Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect,
Matthew D. Lieberman, 2013
about the author
Anna Grome is an Organizational Psychologist and Principal
at TiER1 Performance. With deep experience helping
organizations optimize employee experience and performance,
Anna has helped design and evaluate solutions that include
culture improvement, talent and leadership development,
change management strategies, performance support, team
development, and improved work practices and processes.
PERFORMANCE MATTERS / PG 31

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/212681/social-by-matthew-d-lieberman/ https://tier1performance.com/author/a-grome/

The Modern Leadership Issue

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