EANE hosted the Seneca Leadership Institute on September 19th that was facilitated by the authors of “Love As A Business Strategy.”
One of the foundational principles discussed during the institute was the need to bring humanity back to the workplace They were not speaking of humans actually returning to the physical office but making sure that your company culture values each and every employee.
The participants spent the day really examining their own leadership role and how they impact the company culture. Company culture can be defined in many ways. It is a combination of the shared values, attitudes, behaviors and norms that the company adheres to. It is how employees experience their work-life on a day-to-day basis. According to SHRM the following happen when a company has a strong and well-communicated culture:
- Employees know how their leaders want them to respond to any situation
- Employees believe that the expected response is the proper one
- Employees know that they will be rewarded for demonstrating the organization’s values
In the book “Love As A Business Strategy” the authors identify 6 Pillars that build a culture of love:
- Inclusion – creating a welcoming environment where people may bring their authentic self to work.
- Empathy – leaders understand and share the emotional experience someone else is having while still holding them accountable for their work.
- Vulnerability – when leaders let others see their limitations and weaknesses it makes them more trustworthy and likeable – these are two essential leadership qualities.
- Trust – leadership without trust isn’t leadership at all – it’s management.
- Empowerment – leaders who empower their employees show that they value, trust, respect and honor that person for who they are and what they capable of doing.
- Forgiveness – leaders must learn to forgive themselves and others to help the organization move beyond mistakes.
The institute concluded with these Reliable Leadership Principles:
1) I will put others needs first
2) I will not ask other to do something I’m not will to do myself
3) I will assume good intent
4) I will be humble and practice gratitude
5) I will look for the good in others and the weaknesses in myself
6) I will choose honesty over harmony
The last one really struck many of us in attendance. It made each of us stop and think about times when we were not honest with others in order to keep the peace. Think about that for yourself – do I avoid confrontation in order to not make waves. If you answer yes – what have the consequences been?