Developing leaders

Developing Your Future Leaders & Leadership Pipelines

2025-04-25T12:20:09-04:00

Learn how to identify and develop potential leaders, create effective training programs, and build a robust leadership pipeline for your organization’s success.

A company’s success depends not just on what you do, but on who leads those efforts.

Developing a strong pipeline of future leaders isn’t merely good HR — it’s essential for ensuring business continuity, driving company success, and creating a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to advance.

Leaders at great organizations help talent grow and develop. They know that employees perform best when the organization is invested in their future. They also know that it’s important to identify and nurture the next generation of leaders who will take the reins behind them.

What is a leadership pipeline?

A leadership pipeline is a structured approach to preparing employees for leadership roles.

For organizations, it ensures they maintain a strong leadership succession — incoming leaders are already familiar with the business, eliminating the time and costs of external recruitment.

For employees, a pipeline ensures they have a consistent experience with leaders across the organization, even as those leaders may change. It also demonstrates that the company has a vested interest in employees’ professional growth and development.

A successful leadership pipeline will include the following:

Succession planning: Determine how you will identify internal talent for potential leadership positions.
Career progression planning: Create a clear pathway for potential new leaders that sets out the skills, experiences, and competencies needed to advance into senior roles.
Leadership training: This could include workshops, seminars, and hands-on practice. Ensure it covers more than just business management — it should also teach soft skills like communication and team building that enhance leadership effectiveness.
Mentorship: Encourage emerging leaders to shadow and be coached by more experienced executives. Regular one-on-ones can help new leaders identify their strengths and weaknesses.
360-degree feedback: Gather regular feedback from supervisors, peers, direct reports, and even clients to help new leaders identify their blind spots.

How to identify potential future leaders in your organization

Looking for new leaders is much more than just seeking out your top performers. While performance is important, there are many other key leadership traits, such as adaptability, problem-solving, and initiative.

Similarly, your potential leaders might not be the most vocal employees. Consider their actions, such as humility and compassion — not just their words.

At Great Place To Work®, we’ve identified nine high-trust behaviors that take leaders from good to great:

Listening: Considering others’ points of view, asking questions, and being open to feedback
Speaking: Sharing information clearly, transparently, and regularly
Thanking: Showing sincere appreciation for good work and extra effort
Developing: Nurturing employees’ talents and interests
Caring: Taking the time to listen and understand employees’ personal experiences
Sharing: Distributing compensation, incentives, and opportunities fairly
Celebrating: Recognizing those who exemplify your company’s values
Inspiring: Explaining the purpose behind the work your team does, and why it matters
Hiring and welcoming: Greeting new employees warmly and setting them up to succeed from day one

Hotel chain Marriott International wants to ensure that every employee, regardless of role, feels empowered to be a leader. It has also redefined its concept of leadership into three characteristics: curiosity, courage, and connection.

Similarly, technology company Accenture looks at three key traits in its leaders: compassion, learning, and humility, with an overarching focus on building trust and connection in its workforce.

Recognizing leadership potential beyond job titles

Employees at all levels of the business can and should be considered as candidates for future leadership positions.

For example, middle managers serve as a connection point between the company’s overall vision and their direct reports’ daily work.

Frontline leaders whose teams interact with customers need to demonstrate many of the high-trust leadership behaviors, such as listening and caring — in both good and bad situations.

Maybe an entry-level employee takes initiative to troubleshoot an inefficient process, or a mid-level employee takes a struggling colleague under their wing, acting as a sponsor and helping them to feel safe, seen, and understood.

How to develop future leaders through training and mentorship

Provide structured leadership training programs

Great leaders aren’t born — they’re made. With the right tools and training, anyone can hone their leadership skills. The key is to offer employees that opportunity.

A structured leadership training program could consist of workshops, executive coaching, and leadership simulations. But most importantly, it should equip employees with both business and people skills.

Training should also be tailored to employees at different stages in their leadership journey — those just starting may need basics like speaking with confidence and giving feedback, while those ready for more responsibility might need strategic thinking and conflict resolution.

The role of mentorship and coaching in leadership development

Mentors are one of the most valuable tools for training new leaders, since they can say, “I remember when I faced that same problem,” and share what worked (and what didn’t).

But perhaps most importantly, mentorship programs create personal connections that keep talented people engaged. When employees see that someone cares about their growth, they're more likely to stay committed to the organization.

For example, at Camden Property Trust, newly hired employees are paired with mentors as part of their onboarding, demonstrating the company’s commitment to employee growth from their first day.

Mentorship programs that are designed to increase diverse representation in leadership have also had an impact on ensuring that everyone has an opportunity for growth. Cisco, No. 3 on the World’s Best Workplaces List, runs a program called “Jump” to help aspiring women leaders grow into new roles. Program participants are 1.4 times as likely as non-participants to get promoted, impacting Cisco’s stated goal of closing the gender gap across leadership roles.

Use feedback to accelerate leadership growth

The best feedback for growing leaders is specific and timely. Instead of vague comments like "you need to be more assertive," try something like, "In yesterday's meeting, when you backed up your proposal with clear data, the team really responded well."

Make feedback a regular habit, not just a once-a-year event during performance reviews. Quick check-ins create a culture where growth is part of everyday work.

Also, encourage new leaders to proactively seek feedback. Simple questions like, “What’s one thing I could have done better in that situation?” can open doors to insights they might never get otherwise.

Building a culture of continuous learning for leadership development

Great leaders have a growth mindset. They value curiosity and know the importance of staying ahead of changes rather than scrambling to catch up. They know that an innovative mentality is one of the key elements of company culture.

There are simple ways to nurture a mindset of continuous learning. Encourage questions and avoid quick answers. Set aside a small budget for books or courses. Create opportunities for people to share with their colleagues what they've learned.

“Be a lifetime learner,” said Diane Cafritz, executive vice president and chief innovation and people officer at CarMax. “The role that I have now, I had no functional expertise when I was put in that role … I had to learn all of it. And what I realized about myself was, I am at my best when I’m learning.”

Embrace inclusive leadership development

Leaders can be found anywhere. More than that, they should be found from anywhere and everywhere.

Great leaders don’t necessarily need a certain education or even a certain type of experience. Rather, employees at all levels of the business and from varied backgrounds can show leadership potential. Some important questions to ask about your leadership pipeline are, “Is our candidate pool of potential leaders representative of our employee population when it comes to background and diversity?” and, “Are there any perspectives that we’re missing in leadership that would drive our organization forward?”

Seeking out these emerging leaders can also lead to a stronger.

The key to a sustainable leadership pipeline

Developing future leaders is an investment in your long-term business success. Consider ways that you can actively build your own leadership pipeline through training, mentorship, and inclusive leadership practices.

You can also use Great Place To Work’s employee experience survey to identify and develop strong leaders. By measuring workplace culture, you gain visibility into which leaders motivate performance versus which create barriers. This insight allows you to develop leadership pipelines that don’t just fill positions, but truly transform your workplace.

Leadership That Works: Give Managers the Data To Succeed

2025-03-20T12:13:51-04:00

Great leadership isn’t about holding a title—it’s about driving engagement, performance, and trust. Yet, many managers struggle to translate employee feedback into meaningful action. Manager Access in the Trust Index Survey gives leaders the insights they need to take accountability for their teams and create a thriving workplace.

Manager Access in the Trust Index™ Survey provides real-time insights that empower leaders to take ownership of their teams’ experience, drive positive change, and build a thriving workplace.

According to Gallup, managers influence 70% of the employee experience, yet research shows that 75% of HR leaders say their managers feel overwhelmed. Without the right tools, leadership effectiveness suffers, and so does business performance.

Manager Access helps solve this challenge by giving leaders targeted insights—not overwhelming data—so they can:

Make informed decisions based on real employee feedback
Identify opportunities for growth and track improvements
Create accountability for engagement, retention and performance

How Manager Access transforms leadership effectiveness

Without clear insights, even the most capable managers struggle to improve team engagement. Manager Access bridges this gap by providing tailored survey results to leaders at every level.

This means:

Department leaders get relevant insights on their teams’ experiences—without jeopardizing confidentiality
Managers can track key performance indicators (KPIs) like engagement, retention and productivity
Actionable reporting helps leaders develop data-driven strategies to improve culture and performance

“Effective leadership is about creating a high-performing, engaged and purpose-driven team,” says Julian Lute, insights & innovation strategist at Great Place To Work®. “Effective leaders don’t just manage people—they inspire them.”

What makes Manager Access so powerful?

Great culture doesn’t happen by accident. Leadership is defined by actions and impact, not just by their title.

Manager Access is more than just a reporting tool—it’s a strategic solution that drives measurable improvements in leadership effectiveness. Here’s how:

1. Clearer leadership accountability

Managers are responsible for engagement, retention, and team development. Manager Access gives them the visibility and accountability to lead effectively.

Helps leaders model trust-building behaviors like listening, thanking, and developing employees
Encourages transparent, constructive feedback between managers and teams
Creates measurable goals and action plans for continuous improvement

2. Smarter decision-making with data-driven insights

Managers receive survey results specific to their teams, allowing them to:

Pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement
Compare their department’s performance to company-wide benchmarks
Track progress over time and measure leadership impact

“You can’t improve what you don’t measure,” explains Julian Lute.

3. Higher employee engagement & performance

By giving managers targeted insights, organizations create a culture where employees feel valued, heard, and supported.

Leaders can identify and address engagement gaps before they become retention risks
Managers develop actionable strategies to improve communication and trust
Teams experience a more consistent, positive workplace culture.

Leaders must take ownership of engagement —Manager Access ensures they have the data to do so.

Real companies, real impact

Trek Bicycle: creating leadership ownership with data

By breaking down employee survey data to a granular level, Trek Bicycles fostered a sense of ownership among its leaders. Drawing on insights from the Trust Index Survey, Trek could benchmark against similar divisions and share best practices to drive improvements.

John Burke, CEO at Trek, calls this “The Montgomery Principle”—a nod to their warehouse manager who realized that making the organization great was everyone’s responsibility.

The result?

24% improvement in manager communication across the organization
Leaders used survey data to drive meaningful conversations with their teams
Manager Access became a key tool for accountability, with every leader having a Great Place To Work objective in their OKRs

“Every key manager at Trek has a Great Place To Work objective as part of their OKRs,” says Burke. “It forces managers to have conversations with their team on how we can make Trek a great place to work.”

Wellstar Health System measure & improve high-trust culture

Wellstar Health Systems took action to support their leaders in taking ownership of the business by actively listening to their people and responding to feedback.

To do this, Wellstar leaders rely heavily on feedback from the Trust Index Survey, particularly the Manager Access feature, to ensure that they are creating an environment where trust is at the forefront.

The results speak directly to the employee experience:

Wellstar used survey data to build leadership trust through actionable data, helping leaders see the direct impact of their actions
73% of leaders increased or maintained high trust scores, with an average increase of 21 points
Employee engagement shot up, with notable gains in respect and connection across the board

“Data from the Great Place To Work Trust Index survey is the most powerful point to drive home [to our leaders] why culture is important,” says Samantha Ros, Director of Team Member Engagement.

How WP Engine made strategic, high-impact culture decisions

By reviewing the Trust Index data, WP Engine was able to find a solution to the challenge of cascading information from leadership to ensure employees felt aligned with the company strategy and how it related to them.

The outcome?

Unified feedback from 1,300 employees across 10 countries, enabling informed decision making.
Implementing regular meetings with all people managers to improve transparency and alignment of company goals
A more transparent and connected workplace where everyone feels a sense of direction

“This is an insight that could only come from the data collected by the Trust Index,” says Annette Alexander, the Chief People Officer. “There was a disconnect between how we thought we were performing versus the employees’ actual experience — we needed the data to highlight this gap for us.

Create leadership accountability with Manager Access

Leadership isn’t about titles or power—it’s about accountability and impact. Manager Access helps leaders take ownership of their team’s experience and turn insights into meaningful action.

Customers: Want to give your leaders the data they need to take action? Get in touch with your CSM today to activate Manager Access and begin witnessing the impact on engagement and performance.

Once manager access has been enabled, organizations can invite managers to view their results in the platform and review responses of the survey.

Not already a customer of Great Place To Work? Start using manager access to improve leadership and enhance team performance at your company today. Talk to someone on our team.

The Link Between Employee Development and Performance Management: Creating a Culture of Growth

2025-03-14T18:11:25-04:00

Boost retention, productivity, and profitability by integrating employee development with performance management. Learn how structured growth strategies enhance engagement, leadership accountability, and business success.

In modern business, the connection between employee development and performance management is not just a matter of policy but of survival. Firms that invest in their employees’ growth enjoy higher retention rates and greater profitability. Research suggests that organizations with structured training programs generate 218% more income per employee than those without. Those that neglect development risk losing talent and competitiveness.

Why employee development and performance management matter

Impact on talent attraction and retention

Job-hopping is expensive. Replacing an employee can cost anywhere from 50% to 200% of their annual salary. Yet, when workers see a clear path for growth and receive meaningful feedback, they are more likely to stay put. A well-integrated system of development and performance management builds a cohesive, experienced workforce and saves companies a fortune in recruitment costs.

Boosting productivity and engagement

Lack of investment in skills is a quiet killer of corporate efficiency. According to McKinsey, skill gaps and inefficiencies could cost a median Fortune 500 company $163 million per year. The alternative is clear: Employees who feel valued and see opportunities for advancement are more engaged, more productive, and less likely to burn out.

Gaining a competitive advantage

In a market where skilled professionals have no shortage of options, a culture of growth is a magnet for top talent. 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 that invest in employee development do not just attract better people, they drive innovation and long-term success. The most sought-after professionals are not looking for static jobs; they are looking for careers that evolve.

Key components of effective employee development and performance management

Establishing clear performance metrics

Firms that articulate clear performance metrics are far more likely to hit revenue targets. This is not about rigid scorekeeping but about aligning employees’ efforts with business goals. SMART objectives and KPIs provide a structured framework that helps employees understand how their contributions matter.

Real-world example: Wellstar Health System

Wellstar Health System, one of Georgia’s largest healthcare networks, offers a compelling case study on leadership accountability. By using the Trust Index™ Survey, leaders received direct feedback on their impact, leading to higher retention rates, improved patient satisfaction scores, and stronger financial performance.

The 2023 survey results illustrate a stark contrast: Employees involved in action planning reported significantly higher credibility, respect, fairness, and pride (scoring in the 80s). Those excluded from the process fared less, with credibility (49%) and respect (50%) dipping. The message is clear — engagement in workplace improvements translates directly to better business outcomes.

Shifting from annual reviews to continuous feedback

Waiting for an annual review to discuss performance is like waiting for a post-mortem to diagnose a disease. Regular feedback is essential. According to Gallup, employees who receive weekly meaningful feedback are five times more likely to be engaged than those who do not.

Developing managers as coaches

Leaders must evolve from mere evaluators to active coaches. Constructive feedback should focus on specific behaviors and measurable outcomes, not vague personality critiques. Equipping managers with coaching skills ensures employees receive the right guidance at the right time.

Personalized development plans

Career growth should not be left to chance. Customized development plans align individual aspirations with corporate goals, offering employees a clear roadmap for advancement.

Expanding growth opportunities for all employees

Not all growth happens in boardrooms. Walmart’s “Associate to Driver” program offers frontline workers a pathway to higher-paying careers. American Express’ “Navigator” platform ensures structured career planning for all employees, not just corporate climbers. When development is made widely accessible, businesses reap the benefits of a more engaged and skilled workforce.

Real-world example: Plante Moran’s partner system

At Plante Moran, partners are held personally accountable for developing their team members. This early investment in career progression builds a culture where employees are nurtured from entry-level roles to leadership. The results speak for themselves: an engaged workforce less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Why psychological safety matters

People do their best work when they feel safe to take risks — that’s the magic of psychological safety. A culture where employees fear failure is a culture where they avoid challenges. Leaders who model vulnerability, encourage experimentation, and reward effort foster an environment where employees thrive.

The role of leaders to support growth

Middle managers are often stuck in no-man’s land — accountable to executives while simultaneously expected to support their teams. Gartner reports that 75% of HR leaders say middle managers are overwhelmed. 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 that neglect them risk weakened communication, disengagement, and leadership bottlenecks. On the contrary, companies that develop middle managers can transform them into crucial linchpins of organizational success.

Real-world examples: Target and Allianz

Target’s leadership program ensures that every employee has a strong manager. The company’s store director development program provides peer learning for over 2,000 store directors. Similarly, Allianz prioritizes leadership behaviors such as inclusive communication and effective feedback delivery, recognizing that managers shape employee retention and performance.

Real-world example: Trek Bicycle

Trek Bicycle integrates leadership accountability into management objectives. CEO John Burke mandates that every key manager has a Great Place To Work®–related goal in their OKRs. The result? A 24% increase in positive manager communication scores, improved transparency, and a culture where leaders take ownership of engagement and retention.

Common pitfalls in development strategies

Measuring time spent instead of outcomes: Managers should evaluate results, not just hours logged
Unclear career ladders: Employees must see a tangible pathway for advancement
Lack of development time: If training is squeezed into the margins of a busy schedule, it will never be a priority

Implementing an integrated approach

A successful employee development strategy demands more than sporadic training sessions. Organizations that excel at it follow these principles:

Align individual and company goals: Employees should see how their growth contributes to corporate success.
Standardize performance reviews: A consistent process eliminates ambiguity and bias.
Allocate resources for skill development: Investment in training yields measurable returns.
Encourage open communication: A culture of feedback improves engagement and performance.

Want to build a high-growth culture? Start today

카지노 커뮤니티 추천 that fail to prioritize employee development will find themselves hemorrhaging talent and losing their competitive edge. A strategic, well-integrated approach ensures that both employees and businesses prosper together.

To learn how Great Place To Work can help you build a culture of growth, get in touch today.

5 Career Tips from Leaders at the Fortune 100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For

2025-02-24T07:00:04-05:00

What leaders from our community recommend as advice for building a rewarding career.

Looking back on your career and sharing lessons learned is a powerful way for leaders to pay it forward. It can inspire others and help them succeed.

Who better to ask than leaders from the 2024 Fortune 100 Best 카지노 커뮤니티 추천 to Work For® who shared on the “Better” podcast the advice they’d give to their younger selves?

Leaders at these companies face higher expectations. They exhibit the nine high-trust leadership behaviors, for a start. They are expected to do their job and invest time in developing their colleagues. They know that how they do the work matters just as much as the work itself. And they drive impressive financial performance, helping their companies outperform the stock market by a factor of nearly four.

Their advice offers a roadmap to success in a high-trust workplace, with insights about the behaviors needed to get ahead while building trust and community along the way.

Here’s what they shared:

1. Don’t lose sight of relationships outside of work

Kelly Jones, chief people officer at Cisco, talked about the importance of relationships on the “Better” podcast.

“When you’re early in career, there’s this temptation to kind of be across everything,” she says. “When I look back at my early 20s … I worked a lot. I was really a kind of one-dimensional person. I don’t think I was that interesting outside of my job, although when you ask me what are the things that are most important to you in life, it’s my family, it’s my friends, it’s my husband. It’s the things that sometimes end up on the bottom of the list.”

Modeling a healthy work-life balance is an important way leaders build resilient teams and organizations.

Those habits can start early in your career, Jones said. “I would go back to my younger self and say, ‘These things that you care about the most, figure out how to prioritize these things in your life.’”

Hear from Kelly Jones and other Fortune 100 Best leaders at the For All Summit™ in Las Vegas, April 8-10!

2. Seek out a variety of experiences early in your career

Experience with a range of cultures and personalities builds essential skills.

Monique Herena, chief colleague experience officer at American Express, shared how early career experience traveling around the world was incredibly valuable in her journey to the C-suite.

“Seek out really different, diverse experiences early and embrace growth opportunities,” she shared on the “Better” podcast. “I think the more you expose yourself to different thinking, different cultures, different ways of doing things, the faster you grow as a leader and as a person.”

Some calculated risk-taking is exactly what young career professionals should do, she added. When you are uncomfortable, you are growing the most.

“Looking back at times when you had a little discomfort in the belly — not sure if you can land on your feet and deliver in the way you need to — those are the times where you’re really learning,” she said.

3. During high-pressure events, don’t hold on too tightly

Most leaders can point to both high and low moments throughout their careers. When facing tough times, it’s important to maintain perspective, according to Suzan McDaniel, chief human resources officer at Edward Jones.

“When things are intense, or there’s a lot of things that are going on, hold it lightly, don’t hold it tightly,” McDaniel shared as advice she once received from a colleague that she now repeats to herself as a regular mantra.

When facing a difficult moment, she reminds herself: “This too will pass, breathe, hold it lightly, don’t hold it tightly.”

4. Be a lifetime learner

A growth mindset is an invaluable asset for leaders. Staying open to new experiences and focusing on opportunities to learn new skills can lead to remarkable places.

“Be a lifetime learner,” recommended Diane Cafritz, executive vice president and chief innovation and people officer at CarMax. “The role that I have now, I had no functional expertise when I was put in that role … I had to learn all of it. And what I realized about myself was, I am at my best when I’m learning.”

Even better, Cafritz said: Keep learning and enjoy the lessons.

“Joy is such a huge piece of being engaged at work, engaged in life,” she said. “That would be my two pieces of advice: Have some fun and make sure you keep learning.”

5. Be yourself; everyone else is already taken

Authenticity is a superpower, shared Ty Breland, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Marriott International.

“I had an opportunity early in my career to meet David Novak, who was at the time the CEO of YUM! Brands,” Breland said. “He made a statement that really stuck with me, and I think I have tried to live it every day, and it was: ‘Really be yourself.’”

For leaders, self-knowledge and confidence to show up as your authentic self can open doors and ensure that you give your best effort.

“If you feel something and you know it’s the right thing, really lean into it,” Breland said. “Bet on yourself, but be authentic to who you are … That doesn’t mean that you always have to get your way. It doesn’t mean you’re always right, but it does mean that you leave it all on the field.”

6 Tips to Enhance Leadership Effectiveness at Your Company

2025-02-14T06:11:52-05:00

For better or for worse, people managers have the single biggest impact on an organization’s performance. To that end: Everyone deserves a great manager. But what makes an effective leader at your company? How can you identify great leaders? How can you replicate their behaviors to make everyone better?

Developing leaders should be a key component of any talent management strategy because effective leadership is essential to the success of any organization. Great leaders can inspire and motivate their teams, create a positive and productive company culture, and drive innovation and growth.

Think about it this way: If a restaurant only focused on hiring great chefs and didn't bother to teach them how to lead a team or run the kitchen, things could quickly fall apart.

By investing in leadership development, organizations can identify and nurture individuals with the potential to become future leaders and help them develop the skills and leadership qualities needed to succeed in these roles. This helps ensure the organization's long-term success and helps retain and engage employees who feel supported and valued by their employer.

Plus, a company with a strong leadership pipeline is better prepared to handle unexpected changes or challenges, easing the need to recruit external candidates for leadership positions. This can save the organization time and money, while also ensuring that new leaders have a deep understanding of the organization and its culture.

Finally, leadership development can help to create a culture of continuous learning and improvement, where employees are encouraged to develop their skills and take on new challenges. This can lead to higher engagement, job satisfaction, and improved performance and productivity.

What is leadership effectiveness?

Leadership effectiveness isn’t just a fancy title or a corner office. It’s about creating a high-performing, engaged, and purpose-driven team. Effective leaders don’t just manage people—they inspire them. They guide their teams toward shared goals while cultivating a workplace where everyone thrives.

What makes a leader effective?

Great leaders share a few key traits:

Clear communication — The best leaders don’t just talk, they connect. Transparent, thoughtful communication builds trust and fuels collaboration.
Trustworthiness — People follow leaders they trust. Transparency, integrity, and consistency create a safe space for teams to do their best work.
Strategic thinking — Effective leaders see the big picture. They don’t just react, they plan, anticipate, and strategize for success.

Want to elevate leadership effectiveness in your organization? Great Place to Work® offers a tool that arms leaders with the right data to make informed decisions and drive their teams to success.

How do you measure leadership effectiveness?

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Here’s how organizations can assess leadership effectiveness:

Employee engagement surveys — Engaged employees equals effective leadership and these surveys provide insights into how well leaders are supporting their teams
360-degree feedback — A holistic view of leadership, gathering input from peers, direct reports, and supervisors
Leadership KPIs — Metrics like goal achievement, project success rates, and team performance indicators provide quantifiable proof of leadership impact
Retention and productivity – High-performing teams with low turnover are the mark of an effective leader

The role of emotional intelligence in leadership effectiveness

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the secret sauce of great leadership. Leaders with high EI create environments where employees feel heard, valued, and motivated. The four key components of EI are:

Self-awareness — Understanding strengths, weaknesses, and emotions
Self-regulation — Staying composed under pressure
Empathy — Supporting employees’ needs and perspectives
Social skills — Building strong relationships and trust

High-EI leaders foster high-performance workplaces. When leaders understand their teams, engagement and productivity soar.

Leadership development: Lessons from Target and Allianz

Top companies (and Great Place To Work customers) like Target and Allianz invest heavily in leadership development. But here’s a surprising insight: middle managers—not executives—feel the most pressure.

Gartner research shows that 75% of HR leaders say managers are overwhelmed by their growing responsibilities. And yet, these mid-level leaders are the glue holding organizations together. They translate strategy into action, develop talent, and drive culture.

So, what happens when middle managers are ignored? Burnout. Disengagement. High turnover.

카지노 커뮤니티 추천 investing in leadership development for middle managers see better engagement, retention, and financial performance. Removing middle managers isn’t the answer — supporting them is.

Mistakes to avoid when developing middle managers

Here’s what not to do when supporting middle managers:

Focusing on time spent instead of outcomes — Leaders should be judged by results, not hours worked
Failing to offer clear career progression — Employees need to see a future to stay engaged
Not providing flexibility for development — Being flexible with leadership development means offering diverse learning formats that fit different schedules, such as on-demand e-learning, virtual coaching, or self-paced training.

The skills middle managers need to lead effectively

At Target, leadership training is aligned with business strategy. Key areas of focus include:

Tech skills — AI and digital tools are transforming the workplace
Change management — Helping teams navigate uncertainty with confidence
Leadership behaviors — Inclusive communication, employee recognition, and performance management

At Allianz, the focus is on coaching and mentoring. Leaders are trained in active listening, conflict resolution, and employee development — because today’s workforce wants empathetic, approachable leaders.

How leadership development needs to evolve

The best organizations are rethinking leadership development:

Expanding access — Training isn’t just for top performers; it should be available to all
Measuring impact — Using HR metrics and analytics to connect leadership training with business outcomes
Prioritizing soft skills — Leadership today is about coaching, mentoring, and emotional intelligence

At Allianz, middle managers are encouraged to be coaches, not micromanagers. Investing in leadership behaviors like active listening and feedback leads to higher engagement and retention.

9 high-trust leadership behaviors everyone should model

Great leadership isn’t about authority — it’s about trust. Great Place To Work has identified nine behaviors that build trust and create a thriving workplace:

Listening — The most important leadership skill—truly hear your team
Speaking — Clear, transparent communication fosters trust
Thanking — Show appreciation for contributions
Developing — Invest in employees’ growth
Caring — Support employees personally and professionally
Sharing — Fair compensation, bonuses, and recognition matter
Celebrating — Recognize achievements that align with company values
Inspiring — Help employees see their impact
Hiring & welcoming — Onboard new employees with intention

Leadership effectiveness isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about building trust, fostering connection, and creating an environment where people do their best work.

6 strategies to enhance leadership effectiveness

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 research on “For All” leaders (as laid out in our book), who intentionally build trust regardless of who a person is or what they do for the business, demonstrates that the most effective leaders focus on:

Working with teams, seeking ideas from team members and involving them in decisions that affect them
Recognizing employees, especially by calling out accomplishments and helping employees get ahead in their careers
Inspiring employees to follow by showing them that leaders are competent, honest, and reliable

So how do you cultivate leaders like this at your company?

1. Identify the most important behaviors for great managers at your organization

While certain characteristics of manager effectiveness apply across most companies, true insights come from identifying the unique behaviors that best align with your organization’s mission, culture, customer needs, and strategic goals.

As mentioned above, Great Place To Work research identifies nine high-trust leadership behaviors that shape positive employee experiences and drive business success. These behaviors include listening, speaking, thanking, developing, caring, sharing, celebrating, inspiring, and hiring and welcoming.

First, identify the managers inside your organization who are successfully building high-trust relationships. Employee survey data is a source of truth here.

Interview these managers and ask them “how” they did what they did. Use this information to identify three to five habits that create a great work environment and share them across your organization.

2. Build trust

Employees follow their leaders when they trust in them. They trust managers because they believe them to be competent, honest, and reliable.

You can instill trust in your leadership in three ways:

Create credibility: Do what you say you are going to do. If you promise your employee a project or learning opportunity, follow through on your word.
Be respectful: Ensuring your people are set up for success. Arm them with the resources and support they need to do their best work.
Make fair decisions: This is fundamental for building trust in your management effectiveness, especially when it comes to promotion decisions and for people who are different than you (whether gender, racial background, or tenure).

3. Be a true collaborator

Work with your team to co-create plans and concoct new ideas.

This doesn’t mean reaching a consensus or decision-making by committee. We’re talking about real involvement and collaboration.

Improve collaboration by:

Involving your team in decisions that affect them by getting their feedback before decisions — such as moving to a new office space — are made and address any concerns
Seeking employees’ opinions on the next problem you’re trying to solve
Having regular one-to-ones and informal conversations, such as staffroom lunches and coffees away from the office

These effective management behaviors will make your employees feel included, valued, and inspired to do their best work.

4. Make employee recognition your ritual

Employee recognition shows employees their contributions are recognized and appreciated. A study of employee engagement by O.C. Tanner showed that personal recognition is the number one driver of employee performance — more than pay, promotions, inspiring work, training or autonomy.

Leaders can make recognition part of their manager ritual by:

Having recognition “triggers” — for example, tangible goals with upfront guidance to managers on how to communicate the goals and track them
Making it easy for managers to celebrate employees — for example, Hotel chain Hilton gives managers an annual “Recognition Calendar” with easy-to-implement ideas to thank employees every day of the year

5. Rethink how you promote your people

If managing a larger team is the only way to a promotion at your company, you may want to rethink your promotion process. Some people may be more valuable to the organization as an individual contributor or a part of a team.

Smart companies (and effective managers) create multiple avenues to success for employees. For example, they:

Help people earn new responsibilities and develop their skills through new projects, lateral moves and stretch assignments
Take an active role in employees’ development plans
Keep an eye out for additional ways employees can add value to a project or lend their expertise to something outside of their general scope of responsibilities

6. Flip the traditional performance process

It's common for managers to rate and review their employees, but great managers want feedback to flow both ways. They make sure their employee surveys not only look at organizational culture as a whole but management effectiveness, too.

At Great Place To Work Certified™ companies, employees rate management on all five of the above behaviors in their Trust Index™ Survey.

Employees reflect on management’s behavior, whether management shows a sincere interest in them as a person (not just an employee), and how much management’s actions match their words. This authentic feedback gives a nuanced picture of management effectiveness.

Becoming a more effective leader

Want to take your leadership to the next level? The Great Place to Work Trust Index Survey gives leaders access to the insights they need to drive engagement and performance. Talk to someone on our team to learn how to measure and improve leadership effectiveness at your company.

How and Why Developing Middle Managers Is Crucial for Your Company

2025-01-30T07:00:25-05:00

Target and Allianz share how they develop senior leaders to ensure every employee has a great manager that supports them.

Most people assume their manager is having a better experience at work, but the data suggests otherwise. The group feeling the tightest squeeze? Middle managers.

These functional leaders can represent a range of job titles, from senior director to associate manager, and are defined by the dual pressure they face: from higher-ups, with executives holding them accountable for their performance and their team’s accomplishments, and from direct reports, with junior staff increasingly looking for coaching and personalized guidance.

Gartner found that 75% of HR leaders say managers are overwhelmed by their expanding scope of responsibilities. Seven in 10 HR leaders say their leaders are not adequately prepared to develop mid-level leaders.

The result? Middle managers are increasingly burnt out, and fewer people are seeking middle management roles.

Why middle managers are valuable for your business

You might be tempted to dismiss the plight of the middle manager as an outdated business model. Lots of companies have jumped on the “unbossing” trend, led by companies like Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, arguing that middle managers reduce efficiency.

However, these employees are essential drivers of the employee experience. They are responsible for communicating important messages to their direct reports. They are critical connection points that either stifle or enable innovation and progress in your organization. They can help develop the next generation of leaders for your organization or be the reason top talent walks out the door.

“The role of a middle manager can’t be underestimated,” says Melissa Kremer, chief human resources officer at Target. “These leaders are an important part of the experience a team member has at work, and they play an outsized role in unlocking engagement, contribution, and productivity within their teams.”

Great Place To Work® research found that middle managers play a key role in whether employees feel their work has meaning. And, when middle managers themselves felt a sense of purpose and were confident in the direction the company was going, their company experienced even higher levels of financial performance.

Put another way: Disconnected middle managers are costing your organization money. Removing your middle managers won’t solve the issue. Instead, companies must invest in middle managers and provide them with the tools to build a connected, high-performance workplace.

Mistakes to avoid when developing middle managers

Here are some common errors that can undermine efforts to develop middle managers:

1. Managing inputs and time-spent, rather than measuring outcomes

Measuring only hours worked or tasks completed can undermine leaders’ creativity and freedom to set priorities for their teams.

“Encourage leaders to set clear expectations, measure performance by outcomes, and trust their teams to determine the best way to achieve results,” recommends Barbara Martell, chief human resources officer at Allianz Trade Americas.

2. Having an unclear or broken career ladder in the organization

If you want frontline leaders to take the next step and embrace more responsibility, they need to clearly see the benefits of taking the leadership plunge.

At Target, for example, leaders are constantly developed with continuous learning opportunities like the company’s Store Director Development Program, which offers peer learning to its 2,000 store directors.

These programs develop a culture of learning, Kremer says. “Store directors who move through the program are opting into more development,” she explains.

3. Not offering time or flexibility for learning

Adopting a hybrid work model has unlocked manager development for Allianz Trade Americas, Martell says. By offering flexibility, leaders have more time to pursue development opportunities.

What skills do middle managers need to learn?

For Target, designing training programs for leaders starts with understanding the strategic goals of the business.

“Successful development has to start with strategy — period,” Kremer says. Two areas that Target’s business strategy highlights as a priority for its middle leaders are technology and leadership skills.

“We are seeing the power and potential of GenAI to deliver more ease to the team member and guest experiences and help us accelerate the rate of innovation across our operations,” Kremer says. The rise of this technology means ensuring that employees have the tech savvy to interact with and use these tools.

With the change created by technology like AI and a complex market environment, Target is also focused on leadership skills and helping people manage change. “We are prioritizing development that helps managers lead and lean into change, complexity, and ambiguity with curiosity and confidence,” Kremer says.

Allianz is focusing on leadership behaviors, such as inclusive communication and employee recognition strategies. One important area is performance management and helping managers have productive conversations with their direct reports.

“We’re working to enhance competence in setting clear goals, tracking progress, delivering feedback, and managing both overperformers and underperformers,” Martell says. “This is crucial for employee retention and continuous development.”

How manager development efforts need to change

One important way the best companies are improving leadership development efforts is by expanding access to a wider range of employees. Instead of limited training to a select group of high performers, companies are increasingly exploring how more resources can be offered across their entire workforce.

“One intentional effort we’ve made over the past few years is to both expand our learning and development programs to more team members and leaders and carve out dedicated time for that development,” Kremer says about how Target has changed its training.

That means prioritizing training opportunities and incentivizing leaders to participate.

There are opportunities to improve measurement with these initiatives as well.

“Within our robust People Analytics function, we are focused on linking L&D data to team member, guest, and business outcomes,” Kremer says. “Understanding the full scope and impact of our work will help us to sharpen and optimize our programs — keeping the programs and our leaders agile and adaptable amid a pace of constant change.”

At Allianz, middle managers are asked to become coaches and mentors rather than organizers and micromanagers. The company is prioritizing soft skills like active listening and conflict resolution.

“Today’s employees appreciate leaders who are empathetic, approachable, and committed to their growth,” Martell says. “Development is now seen as an ongoing journey, incorporating continuous learning, stretch assignments, and regular feedback.”

10 Books That Make the Perfect Gift for Business Leaders

2024-12-09T07:01:32-05:00

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 community of experts and business leaders share the books you need to grow your leadership skills.

Need help finding the perfect gift for anyone looking to grow their career or improve their workplace?

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 community of workplace experts and culture leaders have created a reading list of books that make the perfect gift for a family member or work colleague.

You won’t want to miss selections like “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth, University of Pennsylvania professor and returning speaker for the For All Summit™ April 8-10 in Las Vegas. Or, “The Right Kind of Wrong” from bestselling author Amy Edmondson, who spoke about her book with us on our Better podcast.

Other speakers and guests have told us about well-loved tomes that offer lessons, inspiration, and wisdom for anyone trying to create a better workplace for all.

Check out the list:

1. “The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging” by Charles Vogl

Alveda Williams, chief inclusion officer at Dow, says Vogl’s book offers “really simple principles around creating communities of belonging.”

With hands-on tools for implementing each principle, this book is the perfect gift for anyone looking to build a healthier workplace.

2. “Hidden Potential” by Adam Grant

Monique Herena, chief colleague experience officer at American Express, says she gave the new book by Wharton industrial and organizational psychologist Adam Grant to her team.

“One of the insights I loved about Adam’s book is that it’s discomfort and getting out of your comfort zone that unlocks hidden potential, and there’s no sort of person who has a unique ability to learn in a better, more efficient, more sophisticated way than another person,” she says.

Learn strategies from other great workplaces at the For All Summit™ April 8-10 in Las Vegas!

3. “The Road to Character” by David Brooks

Amy Edmondson, bestselling author and researcher who coined the phrase “team psychological safety,” says this book from New York Times columnist David Brooks includes an exploration of purpose and virtue was “deeply moving.”

“I think too many people, young and old, … they want to be successful, famous, look good in the eyes of others, rather than actually feel that deeper sense of fulfillment from making a contribution that you uniquely are there to make,” she says.

4. “The Wake Up” by Michelle MiJung Kim

Synchrony’s Michael Matthews shared how hearing from Kim as a speaker at a company event impacted him. Her book explores how to close the gap between our good intentions and our real-world impact.

“It talks about diversity and leaning into individuals and understanding the role that we as individuals play,” he says. As a discussion about privilege and how our lived experience influences the workplace, this is a must-read for leaders.

5. “The Daily Stoic” by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman

This collection of daily meditations from stoic philosophers of Ancient Rome like Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus was recommended by Cisco’s Kelly Jones as a companion she uses every day.

“It’s a practice and it’s a mindset of understanding that there are things you can control and things you can’t,” she says.

6. “Nine Lies About Work” by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall

This book, which offers a provoking and fresh perspective on workplace culture, led to important changes for Camden Property Trust’s Cindy Scharringhausen.

“As a result of this book, we have eliminated the annual performance evaluation and replaced it with a model that is set to foster the relationship between the employee and their direct manager — creating more dialogue and connection than a formal once a year process,” she says.

7. “Unwavering: Rejecting Bias and Igniting Change, Celebrating Inclusion” by Nellie Borrero

Accenture’s Yolanda Friend recommends a new book by her colleague and mentor Nellie Borrero with life and career lessons from Borrero’s work as a first-generation Latina at the global consulting firm.

In Borrero’s book, you can learn more about how Accenture built a high-trust workplace and get practical examples to drive change at your organization.

8. “The Heart of Business” by Hubert Joly

Need to connect culture to business outcomes? This book comes highly recommended from Mr. Cooper Group’s Kelly Ann Doherty.

“This book helps you understand workplace culture from a CEO perspective and how connecting culture to positive business outcomes is a real game changer,” she says.

9. “4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication” by Bento C. Leal III

Are you struggling with tough conversations in the workplace? So much of workplace culture is communication, and that’s why this practical guide with hands-on exercises is the recommendation of DVL Group’s Christy Magee.

10. “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek

Penn Mutual’s Liz Heitner loves the focus on trust in Sinek’s book. “It delves into how leaders can build trust, foster collaboration, and create environments where employees feel valued and safe,” she says.

We’ve got a book, too. Learn more about the concepts and methodology behind our data with a copy of “A Great Place To Work For All” written by our CEO Michael C. Bush and the Great Place To Work research team.

5 Top Tips Shared by CEOs, CHROs, and Bestselling Authors on the ‘Better’ Podcast

2024-10-03T07:00:05-04:00

The new season of our podcast “Better” launches Oct. 8 and to celebrate, we looked back at earlier seasons to remember some of the most insightful moments shared by our guests.

Every guest offers an inside look at their work and experience, shedding light on how business leaders can create a great workplace for every employee, and how that culture drives business performance. With so many amazing interviews to choose from, we selected five moments that offer a collage of what our show is all about.

You can subscribe and listen to our entire back catalogue here.

Kelly Jones shared Cisco’s framework for one-on-one check-ins between people leaders and their direct reports at the tech company, which regularly tops Best Workplaces™ lists.

Here are the questions she says Cisco asks leaders to use in these important meetings:

Did you get the opportunity to use your strengths every day this week?
Were you able to provide great value this week?
How do you feel about the value that you provided?
What did you love that happened this week?
What did you loathe that happened?

These questions help identify strengths employees bring to the team, Jones says. Great workplaces make sure people are playing to their strengths and finding meaningful work at all levels of the organization.

Top tip: Asking employees about what they “loathe” can quickly reveal if they are in a role aligned with their strengths. Regular check-ins with people leaders build trust needed to unlock the full potential of your workforce.

Check out the full episode.

Amy Edmondson, Harvard professor and bestselling author of “Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well,” is best known for coining the term “team psychological safety” — a state where employees feel comfortable taking reasonable risks that might end in failure, which drives higher levels of innovation and performance.

In her episode, she discussed her finding of why high performing teams reported more errors than lower performing teams. Those teams were more honest in reporting mistakes because they felt psychologically safe and weren’t afraid of being punished for trying new things or speaking up.

Edmondson offered a clear example of how leaders can promote psychological safety.

“I think leadership is an educational activity, and this is an ongoing educational journey,” she explained.

“We need to continue to help people shift their mindsets from, ‘I got this’ to ‘I wonder what would happen if,’ and shift their mindsets from the idea that we’re supposed to have the answers and execute, hit our targets, and everything's supposed to be like a well-oiled machine to a mindset where it’s, ‘Wow, we live in a volatile, uncertain world and we’ve got to be doing all sorts of things at all times to stay ahead of it.’”

Top tip: Identify different kinds of failure and incentivize healthy risks. Intelligent failure, where you get an undesired result from experimenting in unknown territory, is different from a basic failure, caused by inattention to detail.

Check out the full episode to hear her insights on what drives agility and innovation on high-performing teams.

Ric Campo and Keith Oden shared their experience building Camden’s award-winning culture and how care impacts the bottom line.

“It’s an absolute prerequisite for outperforming competitors,” shared Campo. “The reason is that when people care about what they’re doing and they care about their job, they do better, and they work harder and smarter.”

Campo argues that care for employees is easily traced to the care employees show to customers.

“If you take Camden’s total rate of return on our stock price over the last 20 years, we’re in the top quartile of our peer group,” he said. “That outperformance is because when it’s snowing in Washington D.C. or Denver, I’ve got maintenance people digging people’s cars out on off hours because they care. That drives resident satisfaction, that drives shareholder satisfaction through high return.”

Top tip: Treat leadership behaviors like care as you would any business priority, with measurement and accountability through tools like the Great Place To Work Trust Index™ survey.

Check out the full episode.

We asked the bestselling author of “Tiny Habits” for his best advice on how to get leaders to change behaviors or habits, a tough task for any HR leader.

“The best way to persuade is a combination of narrative and data,” BJ Fogg shared in his episode of the “Better” podcast. A great story might be a Ted Talk or a personal narrative, either from someone at your company or from an external source.

And then, bring in the data. He explained: “Those work differently in people's brains and both of them can be very persuasive, and together they’re very powerful.”

Top tip: Use tiny habits to add more moments of gratitude. Fogg likes to start every day with what he calls the “Maui Habit”: As soon as your feet touch the floor in the morning, you say “It’s going to be a great day.”

Check out his full episode for how to work on your habits to improve listening, tips for changing your behavior, and his No.1 tiny habit that starts every day on the right foot.

Brittany Howard, lead singer of the Alabama Shakes and Grammy-winning solo artist, joined the “Better” podcast to talk about her career, her album “Jamie,” and the power of belonging, no matter what industry you work in.

“Belonging is a very human thing,” she shared. “When I was younger, I wanted to have something that was my own. Something that couldn’t be controlled. No one was really allowed to have an opinion on it.”

This desire to be seen is what has inspired her career and continues to inspire her music.

“My overall message is that of acceptance, of trying to love all the different parts of myself, trying to understand people and where they’re coming from,” she said.

Top tip: When chasing your goals, whether it’s to lead a rock band or start your own company, be sure to investigate your “why.”

Check out this special episode for a closer look at the connection between inclusive culture and creative expression.

Download new episodes of the “Better” podcast, available on all streaming platforms.

American Express’ Monique Herena on Embracing Change at Work

2024-04-02T01:03:01-04:00

“Embracing change is not a nice to do, it's a must do from a growth perspective.”

Monique Herena, chief colleague experience officer at American Express, reminds us how and why change and discomfort can be so powerful in the workplace on this episode of Better.

You'll learn strategies that help leaders navigate change and inspire their teams. You'll also hear how American Express has navigated flexible work and why it's important for everyone, including individual contributors, to model values and leadership behaviors.

How do you encourage leaders to embrace change?

Every colleague at Amex — whether you're an individual contributor or leader of others — is rated from a performance perspective on not just what you do in terms of business goals, but how you do it.

Everything that we do from a leadership behavior perspective is about having an enterprise mindset, being collaborative, making courageous decisions, having an external perspective.

The way we instill that mindset is through a lot of support, a lot of training and tools, and an expectation that we need people to push against the status quo, push each other, have respectful debate, and ensure that we are really instilling a spirit of creative thinking, continuous learning, and bringing people along from a change perspective.

How can we do this better, more efficiently, competitively? How can we get better? How can we learn?

We would not be around for 170 years if we have not innovated time and time again.

[Attend our annual company culture conference May 7-9, 2024, to learn transform your culture from good to great.]

How do you help identify leaders who are reluctant to change?

We spend an extraordinary amount of time on strategy and talent. We talk about it monthly, we're coaching people on the daily, and we set the tone around performance and leadership behaviors.

Are you demonstrating that change enterprise mindset? If not, how do you course correct? And if not, those people won't be here for the long term because you won't be able to perform at the level to sustain and grow at Amex.

It’s really important to set expectations and provide support, but also show what happens when you're not rowing in the same direction. Embracing change is not a nice to do, it's a must do from a growth perspective.

American Express has adopted a flexible work model, Amex Flex. How does that model work?

It is a flexible working model comprised of three work designations: fully onsite, fully virtual, and hybrid. The majority of our colleague base is hybrid.

I think we've done a really good job of listening and learning from our colleagues and not being afraid to evolve our thinking and pivot based on what we're hearing. This ensures that we craft the right solutions for our colleagues to meet their needs, but also that we meet the needs of our business and how we support our customers day in, day out.

We recently surveyed our colleagues, and 91% said they would recommend Amex as a great place to work, and that same percentage, 91%, feel supported by their leader in making decisions about their well-being.

American Express has been on the 100 Best list for 24 years, and is the No. 1 workplace in the financial industry. What is the secret to this consistency?

It’s a wonderful thing to be on lists where your colleagues are the ones putting you on those lists because it's really through their voices and experiences that give you those sort of rankings. We have a lot of pride in that.

We really believe that it's important to continue to have a consistent investment across the most important areas of your business. For us, our most important competitive advantage is our talent, and that's not sometimes. That's all the time.

If you could go back and give your younger self some advice, what would it be?

Today as an adult, I'm known as a change leader. I'm known as a courageous change leader. But I would go back and say, even though I took a lot of risks, upon reflection, I would take even more calculated risk. I would've pushed myself to do more of that because my career path was full of surprises. I pushed myself, and many times others pushed me way outside of my comfort zone. Looking back, those were the times that I grew exponentially and more so than I realized at the time.

From a research perspective, we learn upon reflection. Looking back at times when you had a little discomfort in the belly — not sure if you can land on your feet and deliver in the way you need to — those are the times where you're really learning and growing the most.

What book would you recommend to your peers?

I gave a copy of Adam Grant's most recent book, "Hidden Potential," to my team. I believe in the potential of everyone. I don't see our colleagues for where they are right now in this moment, but how we can invest in their growth and development over the long term.

There is a way to look at the world as a lifelong learner where no one really ever arrives. No one ever needs to be labeled as one thing or the other. We can all grow and change.

One of the insights I loved about Adam's book is that it's discomfort and getting out of your comfort zone that unlocks hidden potential, and there's no sort of person who has a unique ability to learn in a better, more efficient, more sophisticated way than another person.

Get more insights

Get more strategies from our workplace culture experts at our For All™ Summit, May 7-9 in New Orleans.

Subscribe to Better wherever podcasts are available so you don't miss an episode.

Synchrony’s Michael Matthews on Vulnerability in Leadership

2024-02-06T00:06:36-05:00

“It’s expected for us as leaders to be able to deal with and support and engage with our employees and our teams being vulnerable, because the culture that we work in now—that's more accepted.”

Michael Matthews, chief diversity and corporate responsibility officer at Synchrony, talks about the power of vulnerability among leaders, and how vulnerability helps build trust and creates a more inclusive workplace culture.

He shared how leadership is evolving at Synchrony, what it means to be seen at work, and the importance for leaders to create a safe space where team members feel comfortable asking questions, and sharing their ideas and opinions.

He also offers helpful advice on how those charged with diversity efforts can build a strong partnership with their CEO and CHRO based on his own experience.

On how leadership is changing:

카지노 커뮤니티 랭킹 approach to leadership has evolved and continues to evolve because the workforce has evolved. How our workforce came to us, and how we interact now is 100% different than it was a couple of years ago due to COVID.

We started this initiative in large part due to our work with Great Place To Work and specifically The Great Transformation. We started what we call Impact Sessions, and they're specifically for leadership within Synchrony where we go in very deep on how our leaders become inclusive leaders.

How we lean into things like, how do you now lead in more of a virtual environment? How do you have difficult conversations? How do you give true and rich and impactful feedback? And how do you do it within this environment that's a lot more virtual versus when you were able to walk the floor and see non-verbals?

It’s a totally different experience. In many cases, it takes a different skillset. Through this work, we are continuing to evolve.

On the power of vulnerability among leaders:

It’s okay to be vulnerable. It's expected for us as leaders to be able to support and engage with our employees and our teams being vulnerable because it’s more accepted in the culture that we work in now.

We talk about how to have those difficult conversations, how to lean in, what to do when you don't know the answer or you're uncomfortable. How do you still support your employee, get information, and come back and continue to support? That's not easy.

[Attend our annual company culture conference May 7-9, 2024, to learn more about how Synchrony is investing in its leaders]

We've taken it for granted that our leaders will just know how to do this. What we found is our leaders — whether they know the answer or don't, or know the right approach or not — there's a genuine desire to want to get it right and not make a mistake.

We have to get in front of that and make sure that they're equipped to handle the situation even if they don't know the answer.

Leaders are human beings, so they're not always going to know the answer. Or they may have to put their personal feelings aside to deal with an issue, or meet their teammate or employee where they are. That's a different skillset.

It’s been a journey, but it's really important and our leaders are so appreciative that we are addressing these types of things.

On how diversity and inclusion officers can build strong partnerships with their CEO and CHRO:

You have to do the work early on to establish credibility and be able to clearly articulate the why. The why it's important, the impact that it has made, and will make.

I think that doing that work and establishing credibility and saying, "Hey, here's where we think we are, and here's where we actually are, and here's where you said you want to be. So let's have that conversation."

By doing that type of work and having that transparency and that honesty with the data and what it is and what it isn't — that gets your CHRO and your CEO to lean in, and understand and value what you're doing even more.

And then understanding that once you gain credibility or establish that relationship, it's not just a given. You continue to earn that credibility and keep building that relationship.

Get more insights

Get more strategies from our workplace culture experts at our For All™ Summit, May 7-9 in New Orleans.

Subscribe to Better wherever podcasts are available so you don't miss an episode.