Successful Leaders actually Care!

Someone once said "When people work in a place that cares about them, they contribute a lot more than duty." You will notice that successful leaders create an environment where people are not just working for a paycheck, there is something more . . . vision, mission, helping others succeed, etc. When a vision or strategy is missing or not communicated, people immediate turn to their pay because if this is just about a paycheck, there are other opportunities to make a higher paycheck so why stay here! Dont get me wrong, a competitive pay is important, but when you ask people if they were willing to give up a little pay to be in a creative, fast-growing, vision-based environment, most people would say "Yes". Someone once told me that the difference between a great company and good company is getting the staff to want to work just 10% more than they would otherwise (usually because they believe in what is being accomplished)!

Here are some small things that a leader can do . . . (1) Remember special occasions (I always tried hard to remember birthdays), (2) spend one-on-one time with each member of your team, whether a lunch, drink, or just showing up at someone's office (I tried to be informal and ask open ended question, nothing specific about a particular project or client, and remember listening is an important way to demonstrate that you care), (3)help people balance work needs and personal needs (it is important to help people in need, including if a family member is ill, try to protect them while they help their family member), and lastly (4) walk in your staff shoes, periodically do their work when they need a helping hand, you'll be able to see things from their perspective and develop the empathy important to caring for others.

An organization that cares will ultimately be successful because it will have a good reputation and people who will work hard, if not, people will not put in extra effort or focus on pay and end up leaving.