What you need to know

• Effective leadership is a game changer for your business and company culture.
• Great leaders leverage their strengths to increase motivation and employee morale.
• Investing in leadership development empowers managers at all levels.

 
From first-time managers to seasoned executives, effective leadership is crucial for any organization.

Leaders shape how your organization achieves success, motivating employees and cultivating work culture. When employees feel supported and appreciated by leadership, productivity and employee engagement increase. More engaged teams lead to a consistent and positive customer experience and innovation.

Effective leaders can make all the difference. It's up to organizations to foster their growth and inspire incoming leaders.

What is "Great" Leadership?

We know great leadership results in team wins and employee happiness, but what makes them great? Leaders often embody different strengths, and it's how they use those strengths to get the most out of their team.
 

• Strong communication: Clear and consistent communication ensures shared understanding and expectations. You empower employees to voice concerns or share ideas.


• Inspiring: Motivating employees and recognizing their hard work helps team members feel valued. When employees feel appreciated, they're more likely to stay and refer potential hires.


• Collaborative spirit: Teams tackle challenges more effectively when employees' strengths complement one another. A more connected team aligns with goals and brings consistent results.


• Constant growth mindset: Helping employees develop professionally instills a sense of trust as they grow in their roles. A lack of growth can demotivate team members and make it less likely to retain strong talent.


• Empathetic: Strong emotional intelligence helps managers nurture patience and understanding with employees. When managers fail to nurture understanding, employee satisfaction decreases.

How Empowered Leadership Impacts Employee Experience

Investing in and empowering managers leads to clear, tangible benefits across the organization.

The employee-manager relationship impacts attrition rates and employee morale. Gallup attributes 70% of the variation in employee engagement scores across departments to management. Additionally, workers state trust in senior management is crucial for job satisfaction. Yet, only 21% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they trust their organization’s leadership.

Great leadership leads to higher organizational performance and profits. More talented managers lead to higher employee engagement, quality and productivity.

3 Strategies for Developing Stronger Organizational Leaders

Leadership development helps new management or long-term senior leadership hone their skills. When organizations help leaders grow, they support continuous improvement and keep their teams agile.
 

1. Adopt a coaching mindset: Empower leaders with openness, curiosity and flexibility. It invites open dialog, which they mimic with their direct reports.


2. Improve communication: Seeking and acting on feedback builds loyalty and collaboration between leaders and employees.


3. Lead by example: Cultivate a sense of belonging and well-being with your team. When they feel a sense of trust in leadership, employees are 4x more likely to be engaged.

Leadership Development is a Win for Everyone

From motivating teams to acting on feedback, your management makes or breaks employee satisfaction and organizational success. Issues can lead to demotivated teams, while empowered workers help businesses thrive.
 

Author Bio

Tim Schieffer is Insights and Strategy Leader at ITA Group, Inc. With 20+ years of experience serving clients in multiple industries, including e-commerce, communications and finance, he offers a unique perspective on how to attract and retain top talent. His passion for delivering personalized employee engagement strategies helps create cultures centered on empowering people. Outside of work, you'll find him cheering on the Green Bay Packers as a proud part-owner. "Go Pack Go!"

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