-How you can transform their apathy into engagement.

Do those you lead lack initiative, have negative attitudes or have high absenteeism? Have collaboration, productivity and participation decreased? Is morale low and turnover high?

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to get people to do what they don’t want. At the same time, nothing is more annoying than being pushed to do something you don’t want.

The solution is Authentic Leadership. Through a focus on trusted relationships, you influence others to want to show up and perform at their personal best every day.

Recently I did an informal poll on Linkedin asking this question. “If you had to quickly assess your performance as a leader, which would be the most important measure of success? I gave three options: Results. Engagement. Retention.

Engagement won hands down at 75%.

Why engagement matters.
According to Gallup, highly engaged employees result in a 23% increase in profitability. More engagement means higher profits. Gallup also suggests that highly engaged businesses have 59% less turnover, saving them money on constantly training new workers.

Conversely, when you’re engaged with your work, you’re personally motivated because those that lead you value your strengths, encourage your unique participation and help you positively navigate your limitations. In short, the leader’s approach is both relationship and results-oriented.

Authenticity uncovered.
In the best-selling book The Leadership Challenge, based on 30 years of research, the authors discovered that people are drawn to authenticity. When people know you speak and act from your values and experience, they are more likely to trust you as a leader.

With trust comes psychological safety, the most critical factor in determining a team’s success, according to an extensive study conducted by Google.

An authentic leader takes the time to know their strengths, limitations and values and those of the team. They use this knowledge to help everyone collaborate more effectively, take the initiative more often and feel optimistic about their participation.

Motivation is inside-out.
While it’s true that some people work purely for financial benefit, money may not be a sustainable motivator, according to motivation expert Dan Pink. He outlines three essential factors that must be present to create self-driving intrinsic motivation: autonomy, mastery and purpose.

The trust that is the core of Authentic Leadership gives people the freedom to be in charge of their work, the desire to tap their potential and the inclusivity to know that their participation makes a difference.

You can turn a lackluster team around by creating more authentic relationships. Set aside time with your team to learn how to best use individual strengths and values while being honest about limitations and rallying others for support. Roll up your sleeves and make it a group effort.

Your team will thank you for it in engagement, performance and productivity.

Til next time,
Jo-Aynne Von Born, Leadership and Executive Coach
 
Work Your Authentic Genius.
Use your own intelligence to flourish!

1. What motivates you to give 100%?
2. How well do you know what motivates each person on your team?
3. How could finding common values between you, team members and the company create higher engagement?

If you’d like to learn more about Authentic Leadership, I have a free webinar on July 14. Click the photo below for details and registration.