5 essential skills of a great ERG leader

A structured Employee Resource Group (ERG) can provide employees with a safe, shared space where they can take pride in their identity and be supported by other members of the same community, and allies. To run successfully, this group needs a leader or leaders who are strategic thinkers, great relationship builders, and have their members’ best interests at heart.?

Great leaders can transform their ERGs from operating as a social club to a strategic entity that creates an inclusive company culture, partners with leadership to establish equitable practices, and champions key business initiatives throughout the organization – and they can do it by working on these 5 key skills listed below.?

Related Post: A leader's first step to building a successful ERG

1. Relationship building

An ERG leader with great relationship-building skills will be able to develop partnerships with their HR department, get more support from company executives, and be more aligned with key business functions. The best way you can develop your relationship-building skills is to put yourself in unfamiliar settings where you’re connecting with people outside of your day-to-day network. Request to be in more meetings. Connect with other ERG leaders on Linkedin and ask to set up a coffee chat. Make it a goal to introduce yourself to 5 new people every time you attend a work event. Relationship building takes practice, so work every day to become more comfortable approaching new people.

2. Active listening?

Since decision-making is a huge part of your job as an ERG leader, being an active listener will make this a lot easier. You’ll be able to recall your members’ pain points, know exactly what the company needs from you, and look at the bigger picture objectively. To improve your active listening skills, work on letting people talk without interrupting them. Take notes, and ask them to clarify their statement if you have questions. Once they share their thoughts, summarize them and repeat them back to make sure everyone is aligned.?

3. Public speaking

ERG leaders will spend a lot of their time leading networking events, ice breakers, presentations, conferences, Q&As with guest speakers, and other meetings with members and executive leaders. When you speak confidently, others will trust you as an authoritative figure. Public speaking takes a ton of practice and can be uncomfortable, but with the right training, you will see quick improvement. Practice talking points as many times as you need to until it feels natural. Pay attention to who your audience is and how they’re responding to you. And most importantly, use your personality. You are a people leader, and human connection is essential for boosting member engagement.?

4. Strategic thinking and planning

The best leaders are great strategists. When thinking about long-term success for your ERG, you’ll have to think about how the ERG can be aligned with HR, executive leaders, and key business functions. You’ll also have to make decisions on which programs and initiatives will best serve members and increase engagement, while meeting with stakeholders in the process. To become a strategic thinker, you’ll have to lean on your members for feedback, be willing to take risks, and approach every problem with a solution.?

5. Influential leadership

Influential leadership can be measured by your ability to energize and motivate people to support your decisions and work towards the ERG’s goals as a whole. When you lead team-building exercises, events, or other meetings, you will set the tone for how you want members to engage with each other and participate in the ERG. A big part of being an influential leader is to hone in on all of the skills listed above, and practice empathy. When your team feels you care and you’re supporting them, they will trust in your leadership.?

If you’re a current or aspiring ERG leader, answer these two questions to assess your leadership skills:?

• What skills do you bring to the table in your role and how do you plan to add value?
• What skills would you like to develop more or lean on others for?

Are you ready to structure and scale a best-in-class ERG at your organization?

At Perfeqta, we're launching an ERG Toolkit in February, and we need your help. If you're an ERG leader who’s just getting started with building the foundation of your group, take our survey to tell us more about the challenges your ERG is currently facing , and how you would like to see your ERG level-up this year. It only takes 5 minutes. I read every response!